


Lifetime (Loki x Reader)

by eroticincubi



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Best Friends, Betrayal, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, First Kiss, First Meeting, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Hide and Seek, Hurt/Comfort, Jealousy, Kissing, Lies, Making Out, Manipulation, Moving On, Oral Sex, Partial Mind Control, Picnics, Reader Insert, Reader fic - Freeform, Sex, Suicidal Thoughts, The Tesseract (Marvel), Treason, War, garden, kid!Reader, kid!Thor, kid!loki, pact, working together
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-11
Updated: 2015-03-22
Packaged: 2018-01-24 07:48:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 37,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1597157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eroticincubi/pseuds/eroticincubi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Can friendship and love truly survive after a Lifetime of pain, suffering and lies?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Like A Child

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the start of a seven chapter series set in my [Masquerade](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1399630) universe. If you haven't read Masquerade yet, just click on the link and you'll be transported there. :)
> 
> The series is about how you've met, befriended and love/struggle through your friendship/relationship with the God of Lies over the centuries. By the way as in regards of age for this chapter, Thor is most likely 12 or 13. You, Kari, Marga and Loki are about 11 or 12.
> 
> I don't own you, Loki, and Thor... just Kari, Marga and Viggo, as well as my spelling/grammar mistakes. Thanks for reading!
> 
>  
> 
> **Number Bullets**
> 
>  
> 
> [1] [Can I Have This Kiss Forever](http://youtu.be/TSxif8KZO9k) \- Enrique Iglesias & Whitney Houston
> 
> [2] [Like a Child](http://youtu.be/HkxT0V6s0Xk) \- BSB
> 
> [3] The [BUSH](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8iUsEy-Dqp4/TFwjRQka_OI/AAAAAAAAB2A/Be0NgJk9dlk/s1600/Copy+of+June+18+2010+053.jpg) you're hiding behind.

** Lifetime **

_“Could I hold you for a lifetime? Could I look into your eyes? Could I have this night, to share this night together? Could I hold you close beside me? Could I hold you for all time? Could I, could I have this kiss forever…”_ **[1]**

**~*~**

**Chapter 1:**   _Like a Child_ **[2]**

“__________!” your friend Kari called out your name as you slowed to a stop, “Wait for us!”

While trying to catch your breath from running ahead of your two friends, you look back to see Kari and Marga, your other friend, finally reaching you, “We’ve got to hurry! The gardens will be empty soon and then we can climb up Yggdrasil then pick at the blossoms we’ll use in our braids! Come on!” you grin and take both of their hands with yours.

You were practically dragging them toward the lush greenery where the great tree of Life stood proudly in the center of the immense garden. The three of you hide behind a large horizontal shrub; it was customary for the Queen to have a morning walk with her two sons, Prince Thor and Prince Loki. It had seem however that this morning in particular the Princes decided to stay a little longer in the garden, their mother was nowhere to be seen.

“Hey __________, maybe we should come back later,” you hear Marga say to your right and you look over to see she was staring intently at Prince Thor who was brandishing a wooden sword and showing off to his younger brother who watched him a little bored but was still watching him nonetheless.

Kari giggled in her hands to your left and you rolled your eyes, “He’s so cute isn’t he?” Marga nodded in accord with Kari and giggled along with her.

“Will you two be quiet?” you shush at them, “They might hear—“

“Ah! The future women of Asgard!” called Prince Thor from where he stood and waves his arms over at you and your friends.

You turn around looking to see if there was another group of “future women of Asgard” to whom the Prince was referring to because you were certain that he did not mean your group. Kari and Marga only giggled harder, one redder than the other. He then approaches you while wearing what he probably thought was a charming smile; there was also a strut in his step.

Giving him a proper nod and a curtsy, you greeted him politely, “Good morrow Prince Thor,”

He takes your hand and kisses it, “Good morrow my lady,”

Kari and Marga both swooned, you roll your eyes at them and felt your face heat up at Thor kissing your hand as though you were some noble lady of the court, “What brings you by this early in the morrow?” he asked while looking over at your friends giving each of them a smile and a wink. Both Kari and Marga had step back to watch you engage yourself with the blond Prince.

“My name is __________, my Prince and I do apologize for intruding upon you and Prince Loki, but my friends and I have come to the garden to pick some flowers. However we do not wish to interfere with your bonding time so we will be on our way back.” Just as you turn to leave, you feel Thor’s hand wrap around your wrist.

“Please don’t leave on our account,” he said, a new shine in his blue eyes, “Loki and I were getting rather bored only having each other for company, so it was excellent timing that you lovely ladies came by when you did.”

Now walking past you, Thor then wraps one arm around each of your friends’ shoulders and began to walk his way back to the garden with them in tow, both girls blushing and giggling like morons. You seriously needed some new friends…  
  
“Since there are five of us why not play a game of Hide and Seek? Loki you’re it!” Thor pointed at his brother who was still sitting on the grass during his brother’s exchange with you and your friends.

Loki gawked at him, “Why am  _I_  always  _it_?”

“Because I say so, now cover your eyes and count to 20 then come and look for us, take your time though! Yggdrasil will be the safety zone! Ladies,” he now turns his attention to Kari and Marga, smiling again, “Shall we hide together?”

“We can,” said Marga with a grin, Kari agreed with a nod and another giggle.

You suddenly felt sick to your stomach at the exchange, “I just wanted to pick flowers,” you whisper with exasperation.

“You still can,” you hear Loki addressing you, you turn and see him giving you a genuine smile, “I’m sure my brother has plenty of entertainment now that he’s gone off with your friends.”

“Some friends…” you snort then realize that not only were Thor, Marga and Kari gone from your sights but that you were also alone with Loki. The idea of being alone with not only a boy but that said boy was also the youngest Prince in the Kingdom; it causes you to blush profusely.

Loki must have notice the color change in your cheeks for you felt a gentle press of the backs of his fingers against your face, “Are you alright?”

You feel the small hairs on the back of your neck rise as you turn to stare at him with wide eyes, not quite finding your voice yet; you choose to nod at him instead before you turn to look away again.

You hear Loki chuckle just as he brushes past you, “Come on,” he said with a gesturing tilt of his head and a mischievous smirk on his lips, “let’s play.”

**~*~**

You were hiding behind a large bush **[3]**  while waiting and listening for Loki to come and find you until he did, “Found you!” he grinned, his eyes shine with absolute delight at discovering your hiding place and just as he was trying to reach out to touch you, you take off running for Yggdrasil.

You could hear Loki shout and follow you in hot pursuit until you hear him grunt follow by the sound of a body falling to the ground, the sound alone causes you to stop.

Looking over your shoulder you see that Loki had fallen over and you run back to him only to find that he sat perfectly still, his face shielded from your view.

“Loki?” you asked concerned while kneeling down before him, you place your hand on his shoulder and give it a small squeeze.

Looking up at you, you could see those brilliant sea colored eyes brimming with tears too stubborn to fall, “Hey,” you say gently and you see him bite his lip, his one hand covering over his knee while the other he uses to push you away, “Don’t touch it,” he hisses and rolls back the tunic covering his leg to reveal the scrape; small speckles of blood bloomed over the top of the skin.

Looking down at the injury, you bring up a hand and with a smooth sweeping-like motion, your hand glows under your palm to heal the scrape. With the wound now healed you smile at it then your eyes shifted back up to see Loki was staring dumbfounded at you.

“You can do magic?” he asked astonished, you simply shake your head.

“No, my mother works in the kitchen so she sees a lot of burns and cuts while she works. She taught me this spell when I was five. I fell down a lot back then.” You smile and look back down at his still exposed leg, “Does it still hurt? It shouldn’t.”

Looking down, the young dark haired Prince blushes and hastily covers his leg once again, “So you’re just the daughter of a servant woman? Going to follow your mother’s footsteps into the kitchen are you?”

The manner of how he spoke to you wasn’t really nice but you chose to ignore that, not really thinking nothing of it, “My father and my elder brother are warriors, they are both brave and strong and loyal to the kingdom. Viggo, my brother, said that he was going to teach me how to ride a horse when he comes back! I’m very excited, I love horses.” You grin but Loki continued to look at you skeptically, he really wasn’t a normal boy you decided, he was much too serious.

“My father also tells me stories about the battles he fought in; my mother hates them. She says a lady shouldn’t have to know about wars and fighting. She thinks that hard working women should learn how to take care of the house and prepare meals and learn how to sew dresses and stuff,” you shake your head, the idea of being cooped up in the house all day made you ill, you wanted adventure and excitement, “One day I want to be a warrior just like my father and my brother. I’d also want to travel and see the different worlds as well!”

“Don’t be stupid, there are no such thing as women warriors, everyone knows that.”

And just like that it all came crashing down; you stare at him in disbelief. His words were hurtful and spiteful and you stand up about to take your leave from him but before you did you look back down at him and you could see how pitiful he looked. The Prince seemed so small and helpless and over what? A little scraped knee? A bruised ego? How silly.

A smile lifts your face and you speak to him in a soft gentle voice, “You can hold my hand if you want. That way I can catch you if you fall again!” You then hold out your hand for him to take.

He looks up at you with hesitation, looking from you to your hand until finally he takes your hand with his and you help him up to his feet.

“See?” you say with that same smile on your face, “There’s nothing to it!”

Holding tightly to his hand you then turn and start to walk, not having noticed how deep the pink on his pale cheeks have become once more.

 “Hey __________?” he spoke gently now, there was no sarcasm in it this time.

“Yes Prince Loki?” you turn to look at him and then you see the small smile on his lips and the blush on his cheeks.

“Thank you.”

You beam and grip his hand even more. Silence fell between the two of you as you both continue walking deeper into the garden; that is until Loki breaks the silence between you, “I guess this means I got you,”

“Yes, I suppose you did.”

You now feel your fingers lace with his.

…


	2. There She Goes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can friendship and love truly survive after a Lifetime of pain, suffering and lies?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've worked REALLY hard on this chapter and I have to say I am very proud of it. I only hope that you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. By the way, you and Loki are about 15-17 years old at this point. 
> 
> ***WARNING*** : At the end of this chapter there are depictions of HEAVY sexual and consensual themes between two UNDER AGED teenagers. You have been forewarned.
> 
> I don't own you or Loki. Only Viggo and the spelling/grammar errors. 
> 
> **Number Bullets** (There are so many!) 
> 
> [1] [Can I Have This Kiss Forever](http://youtu.be/TSxif8KZO9k) \- Enrique Iglesias & Whitney Houston
> 
> [2] [ There She Goes](http://youtu.be/mEbxJjNr2hU) \- Sixpence None The Richer
> 
> [3] "Hrani" is old Norse for "Brutal/Rough". But Hrani is a sweetheart though. 
> 
> [4] Hrani is a male gray speckled [percheron](http://soonerorlighter.bangordailynews.com/files/2014/04/Screen-Shot-2014-04-07-at-6.44.54-AM.png).
> 
> [5] [Touch the Sky](http://youtu.be/TJFcbHOgXOc) \- Julie Fowlis ( _Brave_ Soundtrack) I had this song on a loop and that scene with Merida riding on Angus was a BIG help too. 
> 
> [6] Loki's horse is a male [friesian](http://www.apassionata.com/usa/uploads/pics/horsedetail_fresian_01.jpg). I also couldn't decide on what to name Loki's horse because I was caught between two names: **Skjønnhet** which means "Beauty" like "Black Beauty" but just dropping black. Or **Svaðilfari** who actually fathered Sleipnir and we see in "Thor". Yes I am well aware of the myth of how Sleipnir was born but just not for this fic/storyline/series. kkthnx. 
> 
> [7] The [Lake](http://good-wallpapers.com/wallpapers/23061/bigpreview_Pond%20in%20the%20Thick%20of%20the%20Forest.jpg)
> 
> [8] [May I Feel? Said He](http://youtu.be/DU-Ea-92TMw). And just why did I choose _this_ particular poem you ask? My answer is why _not_ choose this particular poem?!
> 
> [9] Your [Dress](http://media-cache-cd0.pinimg.com/236x/d0/30/14/d030143d74e09eb7b3d71c6bbb310af1.jpg)

** Lifetime **

_“Could I hold you for a lifetime? Could I look into your eyes? Could I have this night, to share this night together? Could I hold you close beside me? Could I hold you for all time? Could I, could I have this kiss forever…”_ **[1]**

**~*~**

**Chapter 2:** _There She Goes_ **[2]**  
  
You feel the cool wind in your hair and face as you galloped off on Hrani **[3]** , your brother’s valiant horse **[4]** ; the exhilarating and breathless emotion that swells in your body makes you feel giddy and triumphant.

The sensation was as though you were a bird in flight, that at any moment you would catch the wind you were chasing after. Your eyes now drift shut, arms outstretching as if to embrace the fury of exploding emotion you now begin feel that makes your heart beat like the powerful percussion it is. **[5]** You hold tightly onto Hrani’s body between your legs while trying not to sway and fall off the beast; a grin you didn’t know you were wearing had grown on your face.

Opening your eyes you could now see the lush fauna and flora around you, this was just too perfect. Grabbing hold of Hrani’s reigns you tug and pull him to a stop, he obeyed almost immediately with snuffling grunt and stops; kicking at the grass and dirt under his hooves.

“You’re such a good boy Hrani, so amazing. I promise you, when we get back home I will give you an extra bag of oats and two apples.” You grin and hug at the thick neck, to which Hrani neighs and nods his large head; you laugh.

“__________!” you hear your name being called at from a distance, “__________! Come back!”

Taking hold of the reigns from around the sides of your steed’s mouth again, you turn its large head which coaxes the powerful body to turn as you now face the approaching dark figure complete with matching steed **[6]**.

Waving over at your oncoming companion the smile you were wearing fades away the moment you see the expression that Loki was greeting you with.

“I told you to wait for me!” the young Prince seemed upset and you feel a swell of embarrassment settling on your chest as you now averted your eyes from his annoyed features.

“My deepest apologies Loki, I didn’t mean to run ahead of you but I couldn’t help myself!” And you couldn’t, for Viggo may have taught you how to ride like a lady but Loki was the one who taught you how to ride like a man.

It was what got you so ecstatic and carefree when you bounded off on the horse. You felt more secure and more at ease than you would have been had you been sitting on the beast like a proper lady should. Then again you’ve never been proper.

His hand gently cups your chin and he slowly lifts your face so that your eyes could meet his; he was no longer angry, “I just worry about you,” he meant it sincerely, “I would be in trouble for endless reasons had I lost you.”

You couldn’t help but feel a little pleased by his words but then again, why would Loki look twice at you when he has so many young ladies of the court after him? Loki had grown into a handsome and mysterious young man. The total opposite of his older brother; where Thor was bright and inviting like the day, Loki was just as dark and alluring as the night.

And you’ve always prefer the night.

“Come,” he said, now steering his animal toward a part of the deep green forest, “let us find our favorite tree.”

You smile and nod while maneuvering Hrani to a gentle trot alongside Loki and his own horse. The two of you begin to talk about some of the books he brought and the food you manage to gather from the kitchens. They included the spiced meats that Loki enjoyed as well as the sweet cream custard he preferred for dessert. You had made doubly sure that you packed those in your knapsack along with the sweet red wine, bread, cheese, grapes and apples.

Upon reaching your destination you both dismounted your horses and freed them from both the burdens of their saddles as well as their reigns before you both allow the horses to graze and gallop at their leisure.

You retrieve the blanket you packed along with the lunch and lay it on the grass before the tree you wanted to lean against. After you settled yourself in you take in the gorgeous view of the lake before you. **[7]**  This was one of your favorite spots to be alone with him.

Loki brings his own bag over to you and the tree as he first knelt then scoots up to part your legs so that he could be cradled between your legs and to use you for his personal pillow. Not that you minded or anything, it was all the better for you to run your fingers through his hair while he read to you.

He was resting the back of his head against your stomach, then opens up what appears to be a book of poems. Hearing Loki reading from just about any book was one of your most favorite ways of spending time with him; he turns a few pages while resting the bottom half of the book against his own chest until he found something he probably thought would interest you.

The moment he began to read the poem **[8]**  in that gentle and soothing tone of his, it sends little pleasurable chills up your spine; you lightly scratch at his scalp with your nails.

Closing your eyes for only a moment you now begin to relax. The sounds of Loki’s voice as well as the gentle white noise of the forest around you allowed you to drift into a contented state of rest; you’ve never felt so happy in your life and somewhere deep in the crevices of your mind, you had hoped that the two of you would always be content like this.

Who knows for how long you have been asleep but as far as senses were of concern, you feel a gentle press upon your lips in sleep for when you open your eyes once more you find that Loki’s eyes were closed as well and that his lips were covering over yours, giving you one of the most innocent of kisses.

Thinking that you were still in a state of dreaming, (for kissing Loki had been one of your most favorite dreams) you did nothing but lay there between the grass and the tree until you most definitely felt his hand sneaking up to cup at your breast over your dress **[9]** … that was new. You hear his breath shaking a little between your lips while that hand on your breast started to try and work its way past the collar of your dress and completely touch the soft mound. This causes your eyes to fly open and now you  _knew_  that this wasn’t a dream after all. It was real.

Snapping out of it you sit straight up, pushing him off and you stare at him with alarm. Loki for his part was on his hands and knees before your body; his cheeks were flushed and his lips were slightly swollen, pink and wet from use. Your eyes widened as you felt your own embarrassment rising up before you struck at his face.  
  
“Idiot!” you shriek and slap him across the face, his pale cheek bloom into a hot pink.

“Whoa!” was all he said and then shields himself with his arms from your wrath.  
  
“NEVER. AGAIN.” You began and continue to smack at him, “NOT. WITHOUT. MY. PERMISSION!” you say between each swat on his arm, chest and shoulders, your face a deep pink at this point.

“Well can I do it again?”

“No you may not!” you huff; pausing from your swats to glare at him. Your cheeks still pink with embarrassment and your body trembled with constrained anger.

“Oh come on __________! Surely that was  _not_  your first kiss was it?” he asked and you averted your eyes while hugging your arms and turning away from him.  
  
“That’s not the point!”

“__________?” he playfully drags out your name and he sits up leaning slightly against you, “Was I your first kiss?”  
  
“Shut  _up_  will you?” you look at him long enough to shove him over harder this time, he crows with laughter as he falls back and lands half on the blanket and half on the grass.

“I don’t believe it! I am aren’t I?” he laughs and rests his arms behind the back of his head as he watches you with shining gleeful eyes.

“I told you to shut up!” you glare and tackle him, Loki continues to laugh at your antics and even holds your wrists away with his own hands to keep yours from clawing at him.

“You know, you’re beautiful when you’re angry,” he says, his sea colored eyes still shinning with mirth.

Although you knew that he said it only to get a rise out of you it was still rather shocking for you to hear it, “You’re off your head,” you grunt while still trying to get your hands on him.

You didn’t notice that you had been straddling his hips until you feel the leather of his trousers slide against the insides of your bare thighs. You immediately stop trying to strangle him, climb off him and you sit cross legged next to his body instead. Your arms rest behind you to support your weight and you were looking away from him as to hide the blush still lingering upon your face.  
  
“_________?” Loki asks breathily while voicing his concern over to your reaction.

“Hmph! I refuse to talk to you.” You huff again still not looking at him.

“__________?” he asked quietly and you feel his finger now gently circling the exposed skin of the back of your hand, “May I kiss you again?” he asked in a sweet soft voice which causes you to look at him now.

He was giving you those damn doe eyes… yet how can you resist him?

“… I suppose you may.” You murmur in reply and watch as a grin spreads across his face.

Sitting up now, Loki’s body was facing you so that his left arm was almost touching your left. Placing his hands carefully on your cheeks, he leans in to kiss you full on your lips again. On your part, your eyes drifted shut and you feel your lips pressing back returning the kiss with equal curiosity.

Kissing was a little weird you had to admit but at the same time, it was also very nice. His hands now drop slowly from your cheeks to rest on your shoulders where they begin to slide easily down your arms and just when you thought he was going to grab your breasts again he actually scoops you into his arms and semi cradles you over his lap. His kisses were now more eager and you feel the soft point of his tongue press against your lips and teeth as though silently asking for permission to enter your mouth.

Instinctively you part your lips to receive it and you giggled feeling him snake his tongue into your mouth. He pulled back with an annoyed expression.

“What’s so funny?”  
  
“It feels a little weird,” you snicker and he narrows his eyes at you, “I’m sorry but it does! Are you sure that I’m not your first kiss either?” you tease him, which only serves to flare his anger a little.

“I’ve kissed plenty more girls before you!”  
  
“It does not feel like it, are you sure they even like your technique?”  
  
“How would you know what technique is like? I’m your first kiss after all!”

“Well I enjoyed it a lot more before you shoved your tongue down my throat.”

“Why you--!” this time he pounces on you to tickle your sides and under your arms and under your jaw.  
  
You squirm and laugh even as far as feeling tears prickle behind your eyes, “Loki!” you wheeze through your laughter, “Stop! Don’t!” your legs kick slightly and he stops his hands now around your wrists and was pressing you against the ground.

You open your eyes to find him staring at you, a smile on his face as you catch your breath and look back at him; he closes the gap between you by kissing you again. Your hands reach up this time and tuck under his arms to hold onto his back while you started to feel one of his hands trailing down your leg to sneak under your skirts. The cool fabric of your dress slips up exposing them and you grab at his wrist to stop him, Loki then looks at you with questionable eyes.

“Loki I’m not ready for more than just kissing. I really do like kissing you but I don’t—“ you pause and bite your lips and avoid his disappointed eyes.

“__________?” he asks gently and strokes the side of your face with the backs of his fingers, “I will not force you into anything that you do not want, we can wait.”

There were so many conflicting emotions beating in your heart and racing through your mind. Was this really happening? Did Loki really want to share that part of him with you? For the rest of your outing there were more little kisses before and even after lunch. And even on the way back to the palace you’ve stolen more kisses until you were both in plain sight coming toward the large golden doors of Asgard.

This would only be the beginning of many more encounters.

**~*~**

Time passes on and there were more kissing sessions as well as touching and even tasting. The first time he had kissed and sucked on your breasts, you thought it was the most erotic feeling ever, it made you blush at the most inappropriate times and you couldn’t help the giggle that escaped your lips.

And then the first time he both touches then tastes you between your legs, you swore you could see the wonders of the universe behind your closed eyes.

Currently, you were in his room both of you were naked on the thick furs of his bed. You were lying beneath him and his body was welcomed between your legs comfortably. You were kissing him at this time while enjoying the feel of his skin against yours. It all felt surreal like in a dream and that at any moment you were going to wake up and find yourself in your room and that Loki wasn’t actually doing this with you.

You were trembling under him and panting softly, your heart was beating wildly and you can feel your sex moisten, ready for more. Loki must have noticed for he had stopped kissing you to simply gaze at you before addressing the thoughts racing through his mind.

“Are you ready for me?” he asks softly while looking into your eyes.

You felt your cheeks redden; you were so nervous that you couldn’t speak, so you nod and bite your lip. He must have noticed your nervousness when you see something glaze over his gorgeous sea colored eyes when he saw your bite.

“Are you frightened?”  
  
Never wanting to lie to him you close your eyes and nod again. Opening your eyes once more you see a small friendly smile on his lips, “Don’t be,” he spoke kindly then leans in to kiss your lips again, “See? There is no need to be afraid.”

Loki continues the slow sweet kisses, now travelling over to your chin then down your neck, over your collarbone and finally down to your breasts.  
  
Closing your eyes again at the feeling, you shudder and begin to relax against the sweet soft kisses peppering your body. You feel Loki run his palms down the sides of your body perhaps hoping that this action would further relax you and calm your nerves. It did a little bit.

When he rose back up to trail kisses and gentle bites over your breasts you wrap your arms around his shoulders, your fingers tangling in the dark locks of his hair. You feel his hands reaching under your hips to spread your legs apart while he rubs himself against the inside of your thighs.

You release a tiny whimper before feeling his lips return on yours once more and you kiss him back. Loki aligns himself at your center then pushes his hips in slowly, the head of his cock now breaks through the barrier of your virginity stopping to allow you to adjust to the foreign object as well as his size. You cry out as a mix of pain and pleasure rip through you; your inner muscles quiver and squeeze around the hot heavy appendage.

You hear him groan above you and just as you felt him about to plow in further you stop him with both of her hands on his shoulders, “Wait!” you sob and take in a shaky breath and breathe it out slowly.   

Leaning over you without moving him hips, you feel his kisses on your cheeks as well as his tongue licking up the tears you were in too much shock to feel spilling from your eyes, “I’m sorry,” he murmurs between each kiss, “I’m sorry this hurts you.”

“Only a little bit,” you manage and kiss his lips again, “keep going,”

Loki didn’t need to be told twice and pushes himself into you until he was fully sheathed inside your quim. You cry out again as the rest of your virginity releases and you feel a small pop from the inside.

“Was that--?” Loki asks breathlessly and looks into your eyes again he sees you nod silently and his eyes widen.

“Yes I believe so,” you bring his mouth close to yours this time, “just kiss me it helps to alleviate the pain.”

“By the Nine,” he swore softly, his hips begin to thrust with more demand, “you feel amazing,” and he kisses you once more.

Soon enough he was breathing heavily over you and he held your hands above your head, your fingers laced together and he was staring deeply into your eyes with those ocean colored eyes. He then kisses your lips once more before he buried his face into the side of your neck to kiss and nibble on your pulse.

 “Fuck __________,” he grunts against your neck, “I’m about to burst…”  
  
You gasp and gently bite at his shoulder, “Not… inside…” you pant between the words.

“Where?” he growls, his hips bucking into and out of yours.

“My chest.” You whisper huskily and your eyes roll shut again.  
  
Loki groans then withdraws from your hot wet heat and kneels up to tower over you. One hand wrapped around his cock and it only took him two strokes before spilling his seed over your breasts, some of it splashed and hits you below your neck and chin.

Looking down at yourself you curiously run your fingers over the small puddles of opaque white fluid and spread it between your fingers. The fluid itself was a rather odd texture; it was a semi thick liquid and when it dries your fingers felt sticky. 

A moment of silence falls between the two of you until you broke it, “I do believe you’ve ruined me for all other men,” he chuckles, his cheeks slightly pink, “or you’ve ruined all other men for me,” he laughs a bit more freely now, “either way I’m ruined now.”

“Quiet you,” he snickers and cleans you off magically with a swipe of his hand. You blink at your now clean but still naked body.

“That’s a clever trick,” you mention and smile what you hope was an innocent one.

“It keeps the servants from asking inappropriate questions,” he grins, pulling you into his arms and kissing you once more, “Are you happy?”

“You mean right now or usually?”               

“You know what I mean…”

You grin and nip at his bottom lip, “Yes, I am very happy.”

“Good, that is all that matters to me.”

You’ve never felt that much closer to him than you did since the first time you’ve met.  
…


	3. Illegal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dead. Dead. So effing DEAD. So dead it hurts. So this chapter is LONG overdue mostly because I had to watch Thor (the first movie) about a good 10 times to make sure I got all the dialogue correct and figure out a good way to worm Reader into it.
> 
> I don't own you, or Loki, or any other known characters that belong to Marv/Disney... I just own Viggo, as well as my spelling/grammar mistakes. Thanks for reading!
> 
>  
> 
> **  
> Number Bullets  
> **
> 
>  
> 
> [1] [Can I Have This Kiss Forever ](http://youtu.be/TSxif8KZO9k)\- Enrique Iglesias & Whitney Houston
> 
> [2] [Illegal](http://youtu.be/TQNwLRMhy6E) \- Shakira
> 
> [3] I would like to thank [thedurrrrian](http://thedurrrrian.deviantart.com) over at deviantart for giving me permission to use his warrior costume design [here](http://thedurrrrian.deviantart.com/art/Character-Design-Cawen-the-Caletmore-Witch-451280297) as a reference. This is almost exactly how I imagined Reader's warrior garb. The first design to the left would be the standard way she wears her armor, the middle design she wears for special occasions/presentations/formality and the last design to the right would be her travelling armor, just how the group traveled to Jotunheim.
> 
> [4] Where's Gandalf when you need him?
> 
> [5] Again I will stress that I do know of the origins pertaining to how Sleipnir was born, just not in this story okay? Thanks. :) 
> 
> [6] Your [normal](http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/236x/ff/43/c1/ff43c10d2c5e51d80bc40ac82f08d5ed.jpg) clothes
> 
> [7] Your [hair](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--RPTqihNcQs/TsFWfHKbfdI/AAAAAAAADqQ/nvjbhcblmKQ/s1600/Kim-Kardashian-Hairstyles-2011.jpg) style after you play with it. 
> 
> [8] Your [distracting](http://img1.etsystatic.com/000/0/5305233/il_570xN.346965053.jpg) dress.

**Lifetime**

_“Could I hold you for a lifetime? Could I look into your eyes? Could I have this night, to share this night together? Could I hold you close beside me? Could I hold you for all time? Could I, could I have this kiss forever…”_ **[1]**

~*~

 **Chapter 3:** _Illegal_ **[2]**

“Oh _please!_ ” you hear Lady Sif whisper to your right as you both watch Thor walking down the long stretch of roaring people during the opening ceremony.

“What did you expect? Thor was always one for theatrics, just look at him strut.” you smirked just as the other woman warrior turns to look at you and you both shared a suppressed giggle behind your hands. 

It was a time of joyous merriment! One where Prince Thor’s birthright was to be announced as well as given the sacred promise to look after all the realms once he was crowned King.

Turning your face up to your left, Loki was standing next to you, though he didn’t look happy at all, in fact he looked quite grim. You feel your brows furrow and he now met your eyes, “What’s wrong?” you mouthed to him silently, he only shook his head gently then turns his face away from you.

At that point something felt off, Loki wasn’t usually this somber there was something weighing on his mind and you knew that it did, something in your gut was telling you this was true. However, you once again return your attention back to the ceremony at play; Thor was now down on one knee before the King, his mighty hammer Mjolnir resting before his bended knee as though he cradled it gently.

King Odin began his speech after delivering a swift bang of his staff to silence the buzz of excited voices that filled the throne room. You stood in your place proudly, hands resting at ease by your sides; your sword in its scabbard pressing against your right angel bone, ready when needed be. **[3]**

“Do you swear to guard the Nine Realms?”

“I swear.”

“Do you swear to preserve the peace?”

“I swear.”

Do you swear,” King Odin chose his words carefully though deliberately, “to cast aside all selfish ambition and to pledge yourself only to the good of the Realms?”

“I swear!”

You gently snort at that to which you quickly cover it by bringing a closed fist up to your mouth and cough to cover it up.

“Apologies…” you mutter and feel your cheeks heat instantly.

You then feel the back of a hand gently tap at your left hand. You couldn’t help but feel the growing smirk that now lifts your lips and flexes into a smug smile.

“Then on this day, I, Odin Allfather, proclaim you--” The Allfather pauses as though he had lost his train of thought. His one good eye scanned the facility of the room or so you thought he did until you hear him say the words, “The Frost Giants.”

Immediately you reach behind your right side, gripping the hilt of your sword to unsheathe it while you look around the room; your senses on high alert. You weren’t the only one that jumped into attack mode as the other warriors as well as the guards around you brandished his and her own weapon of choice.

King Odin banged his staff once more before calling upon both of his sons to his side. They quickly and silently obeyed as the three royal men hurriedly walk down the long stretch and out of the throne room.

What in the name of the Nine just happened? That’s what you wanted to know.

**~*~**

Later, after word had gone around the palace that the Frost Giants had been subdued by the Destroyer, you along with Lady Sif and the Warriors Three begin to walk into the private banquet hall until you hear a ferocious growl alongside a spectacular sounding crash. While walking into the golden hall, you are greeted with a view of the largest banquet table completely turned over as though someone deliberately tossed it while its contents continue to carelessly spill all over the floor.

“What’s this?” you hear Volstagg ask with a disdained expression upon seeing some of the excellent spread strewn across the floor in shambles.

“I didn’t become a warrior so then I could be someone else’s Wet Nurse,” you say pointedly though skeptically as you gesture to the mess with a finger.

Lady Sif gently smacks you on the shoulder with the back of her hand for your comment, “What? I didn’t!” you say defensively while taking a red apple from one of the other tables and bite into it.

You then hear both Princes speaking secretly to one another until Thor gave his brother a significant look followed by a lopsided grin.

“No, no, no. I _know_ that look!” you turn to see Loki sitting stiffly on the stairs while a new shine brightens the cool blues of Thor’s eyes. Oh… this wasn’t going to end well…

“That’s the only way to ensure the safety of our boarders.”  
  
“Thor it’s madness.”  
  
“Madness?” Volstagg queried after helping himself to some bread, cheese and grapes on a wooden slab, “What sort of madness?”  
  
“Volstagg don’t engage…” you say with a sigh of annoyance while taking another bite of apple and reaching for some of the cheese the larger man had prepared.

“We’re going to Jotunheim.”

“What?” Volstagg questions with a laugh.

You and the other warriors freeze to stare at Thor incredulously, it was as though he had grown a second head, “I agree with Loki,” you swallow the bite apple in your mouth, “it _is_ madness!”  
  
“This isn’t like a journey to Earth,” Fandral began and proceeded to slowly walk toward the elder Prince, “where you can summon a little lightning and thunder where the mortals worship you as a god. This is Jotunheim.”

“My father fought his way into Jotunheim, defeated their armies and took their Casket. We would simply be looking for answers.” Thor said it so simply and it was as though he had it all plan out perfectly in his head.

This wasn’t a treaty where one could talk civilly with these creatures, this was a suicide mission.

“And how many lives were lost along the way?” you asked and you look around at your small group then gesture to them with your arms spread out, “We are but seven!”

“It is forbidden!” agreed Lady Sif, Thor merely chuckled dismissively at both your words and hers.

“My friends, have you forgotten all that we’ve done together?” Thor was grinning brilliantly and approaches you all with open arms, “Fandral, Hogun, who led you into the most glorious of battles?”

“You did…” Hogun mumbled then looks away slightly, Thor walks on.

“Volstagg! To delicacies so succulent, you thought you’d died and gone to Valhalla?” the blond Prince asks to the hungriest of the warriors while placing his hand on the other man’s shoulder the way brother’s in arms usually did.

“You did,” he grins and chuckles along with Thor.

“Yes!” Thor shouts jubilantly and he moves over to both you and Lady Sif, “And who proved wrong all those who scoffed at the idea that not one but _two,_ incandescently capable young maidens could become two of the fiercest warriors this realm has ever known?”  
  
Both you and Sif exchange skeptical looks until you answer with one hand on your hip, your other hand, which now held the half eaten apple, you use to gesture between you and Lady Sif, “I believe we both did,” you say, just as Sif wears a smirk which it grew into a smug looking smile, her arms folds across her chest and you could both see the look of perplexity on Thor’s face. 

“True, but I supported the pair of you.” Though it was true that he did it still didn’t make what he was planning to do any more appropriate or wise.

Turning around you look at Loki who had been silent throughout the entire exchange between you, Thor and the other warriors.

“Say something!” you mouth slowly at Loki while Thor had his back turned from you all.

“What do I say?” Loki mouthed back while having a conflicted look of panic in his eyes.

“Anything to make him stop!” you mouth back and shake your head to imply that Loki should do whatever it took to convince Thor not to go through with this driving plan of his.

“My friends, we are going to Jotunheim.”

It was decided.

**~*~**

You knew your brother wouldn’t mind you borrowing his horse for a while at least but had he known what you were about to become deeply involved in, he would have skinned your hide after tanning it.

“It will be alright Hrani,” you murmur to the gallant beast and you pet at his mane after mounting his back, “I will have you home in no time at all,” you promise then click your tongue and gently tap at his hind quarters for him to move with your heels.

Soon the seven of you were galloping off on your horses along the Bifrost until at last you’ve manage to reach the gate where Heimdall, the Guardian of the Gate stood silently and proudly, his sword key before him. Oh thank the Nine! In your panic you had forgotten about the Keeper of the Gate, surely he would prevent you all from passing toward your deaths.

Dismounting your horses quietly, you gently pat then rub Hrani on the jaw giving him a silent farewell, he nickered in reply. It would be seconds until this so called “treaty” would come to a stop then you can all return to the palace to eat and drink in recompense.

That is of course until you all stand before the Keeper of the Gate.

“Leave this to me,” Loki smirks and walks before Heimdall, “Good Heimdall—“ Loki began politely until the Keeper of the Gate interrupted him.

“You’re not dressed warmly enough.”

“I’m sorry?” Loki asked innocently.

“Do you think that you can deceive me?”  
  
Loki chuckles in that charming way, “You must be mistaken—“  
  
“Enough!” now it was Thor’s turn to interrupt his brother and he steps over to stand between him and the Keeper of the Gate, “Heimdall may we pass?”

You felt adrenaline pulsate in your chest and spread down your arms and tights, igniting every nerve in your body. This was not happening; Heimdall CANNOT allow you all to pass **[4]**.  
  
“Never has an enemy slipped my watch until this day.” Heimdall spoke in that rich tenor growl, his eyes shifted from one Prince to the other, “I wish to know how that happened.”

“Then tell no one where we have gone until we’ve returned. Understand?”

He then moves past him which then gives you and the other warriors incentive to follow the future King of Asgard. However, both you and Loki continue to stand in your places until you hear Volstagg say snidely, “What happened? Silver tongue turn to lead?”

You hear Hogun and Fandral laugh along with Volstagg at the remark. You purse your lips with annoyance then walk up next to Loki.

You reach over and held onto his hand with yours, he turns to look into your eyes, “This will not end well you _know_ this and yet you continue to say nothing.” you release his hand and as your own feet carry you into the large bronze spherical room you were shaking your head with disappointment until at last you met up with the rest of the awaiting group of warriors.   

Heimdall walks up to the platform and lowers his sword key into the slot to activate the Bifrost. The machine whirled to life and you felt as if as though someone punches you in the gut. This cannot be happening! This must have been some horrible dream too traumatizing for you to wake up from.

“Be warned, I will honor my sworn oath to protect this realm as its Gatekeeper. If your return threatens the safety of Asgard, Bifrost will remain closed to you and you’ll be left to die in the cold waste of Jotunheim.” Heimdall spoke loudly and clearly over the roar of the opening gate, there would be no going back once the portal to the ice world was open and you all step through.  
  
“Couldn’t you just leave the bridge open for us?” Volstagg asked hoping against all hope that Heimdall was simply speaking dramatically.  
  
You face palm at that question and groan.

“To leave the bridge open would unleash the full power of the Bifrost and destroy Jotunheim with you upon it.”  
  
“I have no plans to die today!” you could hear the grin on Thor’s face and for once in your life you never had the desire to pummel him into the ground so vigorously until just then.  
  
“Then what are we doing here?” you whisper anxiously to yourself until you feel a hand reaching out and taking yours with theirs.

Turning you see Loki watching you with a tiny smile on his smooth lips, you return the smile with one of your own and gave his hand a little squeeze before dropping it and look straight ahead at the opening glowing portal.

Heimdall lowers the sword key and activates the portal causing you to shoot forward faster than the speed and travel of light and sound. The roar of the noise was endless as you all travel and finally spiral downward toward the expansive icy planet. It was beautiful from what you managed to see, a realm of whites and blues not at all like the warm brilliance of Asgard.

The moment you all landed you take a look around and the cold finally hits you. You then recall Heimdall mentioning how little you all were dressed for this realm; he was right. Jotunheim was nothing but a barren wasteland of ice and snow. There was no light that could be seen, just endless night and a dark cold.

“We shouldn’t be here.” Hogun says softly while looking around at the ice covered archway before the group.  
  
“No we shouldn’t,” you mutter and take another look around, “we should be back at home getting stuffed and plastered with food and drink.”

“Cheers to that!” Volstagg grins at your idea.

“And women,” added Fandral with a charming smile of his own.

You roll your eyes and make a sound of utter disgust.

“Let’s move,” mumbles Thor as he then begins to lead your little expedition through the chilly world.

Your group continues to walk, trudging against the cold and the ice while taking in the terrifying silence of it. As you breathe you can see the small puffs of breath leaving your lips while a tall dark looking tower approaches your view. It was so hard to see with what little light you all found until you find a vast circular clearing.

“Where are they?” Sif asks just as you all walk closer to the clearing.

“Hiding, as cowards always do.” Thor replies just as he steps up to a rounded clearing of ice and rock.

“You’ve come a long way to die, Asgardians.” Your eyes widened as you hear the low, growling like voice addressing your group.  
  
“I am Thor Odinson.” Thor called loudly and clearly enough to be heard.

“We know who you are,” the same voice spoke dismissively.

“How did your people get into Asgard?”

There was a pause follow by a rattling, exhaling breath and you could see the Frost Giant who had been sitting on what look like a black ice throne, his large body turns and you could see the blood red eyes staring toward you, “The House of Odin is full of traitors.”  
  
“DO NOT DISHONOR MY FATHER’S NAME WITH YOUR LIES!” Thor bellowed and raises his hammer over his head threateningly.

It frightened you just how quickly the creature that was once sitting rose to its feet and towered over your small group of seven, “Your father is a murderer and a thief! And why have you come here? To make peace? You long for battle, you crave it. You’re nothing but a boy trying to prove himself a man.”

You gulp silently still staring up at the giant blue creature until you began to feel many more of those blood red eyes watching you. Slightly raising your head you began to see many of the giant creatures surrounding your group, there were so many and you wondered just how many of them were going to fall by your sword.

You may not want to be here, but you certainly weren’t going to go down without a proper fight.  
  
“Well this “boy” has grown tired of your mockery.” Thor continued to argue with the monster while it became apparent that the creatures around you began to create ice like weapons down their arms.

They were wicked sharp looking ice blades and claws and you began to feel your hands tingle not by the cold but in preparation to draw your sword for the pending battle.

You see Loki trying to coax Thor into retreating, finally pleading with him to withdraw but Thor seemed too stubborn and full of pride to back down now until it seemed that Loki has finally convince his brother into returning home. Laufey allows you all passage now that a battle wouldn’t take place, “Go now, while I still allow it.”

“We will accept your most gracious offer,” you hear Loki addressing the guard slowly approaching them, most likely he is Laufey’s second in command for the markings that cascaded down his body as well as the ice armor he wore.  
  
The guard nods at Loki’s proper address and begins to watch both of the Princes walk off, until you see a cruel smile lifting his wicked looking features, “Run back home little princess,” the creature growled in a condescending tone.

Thor stops dead in his tracks, as did Loki.

Your eyes roll shut and bite your lips knowing what was to follow, “Damn.” You hear Loki say and you wince upon hearing the impacting sound of metal meeting cold flesh. Blast it all!

The brawl commences immediately after that and you withdraw your long sword from your scabbard behind you. Charging toward the nearest Frost Giant, you slice at the large blue chest and you could see a burst of blue green blood splashing from the cut, you then proceeded down the line dodging and attacking your enemies.  
  
You didn’t want to be here, you shouldn’t have to be fighting for your lives and the lives of your friends; this served for what purpose? Childish greed and pride? Stupid, this was _stupid_ and pointless!

Looking over your shoulder you could see Fandral in trouble as one giant much larger than the ones you had been fighting against, blocks the path between the bearded blond warrior and his weapon.

“FANDRAL!” you cry out his name and you slice at the Frost Giant’s back. While the creature was distracted the Swordsman pierces the blue chest with his sword; a river of blue and green fatally pours from the wound. Then it all happened so fast that you did not see it until you saw the ice that tears at the Swordsman’s shoulder was spike red with blood.

Fandral cries out and you rush over to help him, Volstagg and Hogun were right behind you as you free your comrade. The moment that Volstagg lifts Fandral up over his shoulder was when Laufey called upon the Frost Beast which seemed to have been sleeping until the ice had been cracked away.

“Fall back!” you shout over the roar of the battle and begin to make a run for it, swiping your sword against any enemy that stood in your way.

You kept running; there wasn’t any time to look back as thoughts of your parents and your brother all waiting for you at home flooded your mind. You didn’t want to die today, that much was certain; you wanted to be home in your mother’s kitchen, listening to stories told by both your father and brother. Right now you would give anything to hear how your brother gutted the Bilgesnipe monster. Blood, guts and glory included.

 _‘It won’t end like this, we’re going to get home, it will be alright. We are going to make it, we are going to make it!’_ you chanted silently in your mind until you all reach a cliff.

“Heimdall!” Hogun shouted, “Open the bridge!”

Your eyes widened as you saw the gigantic paw of the Frost Beast pull itself up onto its hind legs and roared down menacingly at you. The Frost Beast was a creature unlike anything you’ve ever seen or fought against in all your life as a warrior and you knew deep inside that this was going to be messy.

Just as the creature opened its jaws once more you see a pummeling mass of flying red shooting into the mouth of the beast and exit the back of the head. The beast falls over dead, a large gaping hole could be seen right through it as it falls off the side of the cliff.

Thor landed swiftly before you all, “Oh thank the Nine.” You breathe out not realizing that you were even holding your breath.

Suddenly you were all surrounded by the vast quantities of Frost Giants and just when you thought that your life was about to end did Heimdall reopen the Bifrost with a bright roaring and thundering crash. However instead of being sucked into the portal, the Allfather arrived while mounted on his mighty horse Sleipnir **[5]**.

“Father! We’ll finish this together!” Thor cheered while holding up his hammer proudly toward his father.  
  
“Silence!” hisses the Allfather then turns to address the King of the Frost Giants.

You couldn’t hear what they spoke of, for they kept their words soft and between each other until Laufey was about to attack the Allfather. That was when Odin raises his staff and sends out a jolt of hot white light, temporarily blinding and tossing back the Frost King.

You then feel the Bifrost sucking you into its warm light and back toward the World Eternal.

The moment you set foot in the golden room did the fighting between Thor and the Allfather commence, it was far too much to bear but at least you were all home and alive, that was all that mattered at this point.

“Why did you bring us back?”

“Do you realize what you’ve done? What you’ve started?”

“I was protecting my home.”

“You cannot even protect your friends! How do you hope to protect a kingdom?!”

The Allfather looks toward your group of five now, Volstagg and Hogun carried Fandral between them, you and Lady Sif walk side by side silently behind them, “Get him to the Healing Room now!” he bellowed as the five of you begin to scuttle away toward the golden palace.

You sneak a look back over at Loki who watches you walk away, until you turn from his gaze to continue to walk silently with your brothers and sister in arms down the Bifrost.

Hrani was gone as were the other horses which could only mean that someone had come to retrieve them while you were in Jotunheim. Damn. Damn. Damn. _DAMN_!  
  
 **~*~**

Later after learning from Loki that Thor had been banished from Asgard and into another world you and your friends spoke privately in one of the many parlors reserve for those of high status. **[6]**

You were standing close to the large open windows, taking in the gorgeous sight of the city during the night. Its many glowing and twinkling lights until your eyes look up into the equally breathtaking sky above your head.

“We should never have let him go.”

You take in a deep breath and sigh slowly at the words.

“There was no stopping him,” you hear Lady Sif say to Volstagg who had started the conversation.

“Well at least he’s only banished, not dead. Which is what we’d all be if that guard hadn’t told Odin where we’d gone.” Fandral mentioned, joining in on the conversation.  
  
“How did that guard even know?” Volstagg asked again after Hogun had rubbed a salve of medicinal ointment to his friend’s almost frostbitten arm.  
  
“I told him,” Loki answered softly.

You turn your head to look at him. So that was it. That’s why he chose not to do or say anything when you were all at the Bifrost.

“What?” Fandral asked and turns from his seating place to look at the younger Prince.

“I told him to go to Odin after we left. He should be flogged for taking so long.” Loki sniffs remorselessly as all eyes now turn to stare at him.

“We should have never reached Jotunheim! _You_ told the guard?” Volstagg asked outraged by this turn of events.  
  
“I saved our lives,” Loki spoke softly again, “and Thor’s. Though I had no idea that Father would banish him for what he did.”

“Loki,” Sif stood up from her own sitting place and now stood before him, “You must go to the Allfather and convince him to change his mind,”  
  
“And if I do, then what?”

You could no longer keep your tongue for as much as you wanted to tell them all that “you told them so” the conversation had turned in a different direction. Just as you opened your mouth to voice your thoughts were you interrupted by Loki.

“I love Thor more dearly than any of you, but you know what he is. He is arrogant, and reckless and most of all dangerous. You saw how he was today, now is that what Asgard needs from its King?” he walks off swiftly and dismissively, Sif follows close behind him until she stopped and you watch him opening the door then shut it behind him.  
  
“He may speak for the good of Asgard, but he’s always been jealous of Thor.”

Your eyes narrowed as you turn your full attention to the other woman warrior, “Just what are you implying?” you say without a second thought.

The three men now sport uneasy looks at one another until Volstagg clears his throat while looking from you to Sif, “We should be grateful to him, he saved our lives.”

You smirk at Sif and nod at the burly ginger man’s words.  
  
“Laufey said that there were traitors in the House of Odin. A master of magic could bring three Jotuns into Asgard.” 

“Careful for how you speak Hogun,” you say dangerously and shift your eyes over to the grim looking man, “Loki is not a traitor.” You didn’t like where this conversation was spiraling toward or the implication your fellow warriors were making.

“Loki’s always been one for mischief that we can all agree,” argues Fandral who now stands and walk over to your side, he then places a hand on your shoulder, “but you’re all talking about something else entirely.”

There was a gentle rap at the door followed by the sound of the door opening.

“__________?” you hear your mother’s voice say as she entered the room with a wash cloth that she was currently using to dry her hands with and then rests it over her shoulder, “Your father wishes to speak with you,”

Your whole body flinches and you bite your lips to suppress the curse you were about to shout, “My friends I shall make my leave of you. I will meet you at dinner.”

Excusing yourself from the room you walk over to your mother who seemed to have wanted to say something to you as well, but she held her tongue. Perhaps she would speak to you after your father did.  
  
“Pay her no mind __________’s always had a soft spot for the Mischief Maker.” You hear Volstagg say rather loudly just as you departed the room.

Gluttonous oaf.

 **~*~**  
  
“ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR HEAD?!”  
  
Who knew that you could die (well _nearly_ die) twice in one day?

“I’m sorry father I—“

“No excuses, your behavior has none!”

You remain silent in your place and you did not dare to look at your father in his eyes, “Tell me something girl,” you always hated when your father began to question you with this expression, “What exactly went through your mind after you agreed to go on this seven men expedition to the Ice Kingdom?”

“Actually father I was quite against it, I honestly thought we would not make it past Heimd—“  
  
SMACK.

You feel the burning rush of blood rising over your right cheek from where your father had struck you. You feel tears pricking in your eyes but you refuse to allow one drop to fall.

You hear your father sigh with exasperation as you held your position, your eyes continue not to meet with his and you no longer speak to him unless spoken to.

“You should consider yourself lucky that the Allfather has seen past your poor judgment and will allow you to continue to be a warrior in his court.”  
  
“Yes father,” you speak gently and politely even though you were raging inside.

“Viggo is waiting for you in the stables; he wishes to talk to you as well. He wasn’t at all pleased that you took Hrani without his permission.” As though he regretted being so forceful with you, he now places that heavy hand he had hit you with upon your now tender cheek. You close your eyes briefly feeling the buzzing pain of it until you feel both of his hands on your cheeks and then feel his lips kissing your forehead.

“I’m sorry my darling,” he whispers against your forehead, “I am more angry at myself that I wasn’t there to stop you. As your father I am duty bound to protect you so long as I live and breathe.”

“Yes father,” you murmur and bite your lips to keep the threatening tears to spill down your cheeks.

“Go on, get out of my sight.”

He didn’t need to tell you twice as you headed out of the room and walk into the direction of the stables.

**~*~**

You walk toward the stables despondently; you hate when your father got the way that he did. For once it wasn’t your fault! Things just got out of hand and as Loki had mentioned before they shouldn’t have made it past the Bifrost! By the Nine… gingerly, you touch at the spot where your father had hit you; it still stung a bit. However, he knew whatever he had done to you, Viggo’s punishment was going to be worst, especially when it involved Hrani. As you turned the corner, there was your brother grooming his horse, making sure he was okay. Your brother raised Hrani since he was just a foal and was very protective of him. You were a bit envious; you love Hrani too so then why did Viggo get to have all the fun of riding him?

“Sister,” you cringed just as you approached him from 20 feet away, you and he both knew that when he calls you by that, you were in big trouble.  
  
“Please don’t start with me, Viggo…”  
  
“The hell I won’t,” he said and slightly turns to look at you, his eyes filled with disappointment, “You could have been killed! Thank Odin that he reached all of you in time before anything drastic happened!”  
  
“If anything, THEY should be happy I even went with them!” you counter while glaring at him.  
  
“And to make matters worse, you left poor Hrani to die!” your bother’s attention goes back to his horse as he continues to groom him.  
  
“I didn’t mean to do that Viggo! It just happened and damn if we had brought all the horses with us then they would have died!”

“You shouldn’t have gone in the first place! Why were you acting so reckless and selfish to begin with!” he turns around so that you were both face to face with one another.

“I was _not_ selfish and I was careful!”

“So careful you got cocky and almost killed. Do you have any idea how father, mother and I would have felt if something happened to you?!”  
  
You were taken back a bit. You could see it in his eyes, Viggo in his own right was a strong warrior and could fight circles around some of the elite in the army and even you but he was still as gentle as ever when it came to you. Your rage now turns to guilt and you turn your look down to watch your feet.

“Sorry,” you mumble and you hear he sigh above you then you feel his fingers in your hair as he ruffles it affectionately.

“It’s okay now. You’re alive and here and that’s all that matters to me,” he lifts you face up gently to touch and inspect your cheek, “I see father expressed his thoughts on the subject.”

“Aye, that he did,” you wince slightly.

“Can you blame him? You’re going to get yourself killed if you don’t be careful,”

“I--” you looked at him and furrow your eyebrows.

“You weren’t acting carefully you were cocky and indifferent. Don’t go showing off in front of the other warriors. You are a warrior to the AllFather, you have nothing to prove. It only shows them that you are a reckless warrior with something to prove and I’ll be damned if my sister is seen or dubbed as that,” you grin by his words.

“Yeah, love you too, brother,” he snorts and hugged you tightly.

“Just don’t leave Hrani about like that. And next time ASK before you take,”

“It was short notice and Hrani is the best,”

“Of course he is, he’s my horse after all,” you both laughed and a bit as a servant girl emerges from the shadows, Viggo stares at her oddly, “Yes?” he addresses the girl who blushes and places her hands over the front of her apron.

“M’lady,” she looks to you just as you turn around to see her, “his highness would like a private audience with you,” you looked up to Viggo who quirks an eyebrow at you then to the servant girl.

“Which one?”  
  
“Prince Loki, he wishes to see you in is chamber,” you sigh, of course he did.

“See you in a bit, brother,”  
  
“Be careful and try to control your feminine wiles,” he teases which causes you to blush profusely.

“Oh honestly…” you huff and you follow the servant girl to Loki’s chambers.  
  
 **~*~**

“You called for me?” you asked once Loki opened the door to his room and finds you standing there before him expectantly. You could see the anxiety in his eyes and you couldn’t help but ask him about it, “What’s the matter my Prince? Are you ill? Shall I call for a Healer?”

“No, just get in here and be quiet,” he snarls while grabbing you by the wrist and pulls you inside, he shuts the door with a loud bang behind you.

“Loki,” you whisper, dropping all formality then gasp as he pushes you up against the back of the door, his eyes staring down hungrily at you, “Wh-what’s wrong?”

“I need this,” he growls and kisses you roughly, his tongue pushes past your lips making you squeal uncomfortably and you push him off.

“What in Hel’s name?!” you interject and place your fingers against your lips to see if they bled or not from his force. They didn’t thank heavens…  
  
“You dare deny me? _Me_?!” He shouted while trying to grab for you again.  
  
You narrowed your eyes at him and push him off forcefully, your hand presses at the center of his chest, “What is this about Loki, really?”

He only glares at you until you could see the tears shining in his eyes, this calms your anger and the hand on his chest rises to cup his cheek kindly, “Loki, please talk to me. Tell me what’s happened?”

He huffs and looks away from you, silent tears track down his face and you feel your own anxiety rising as empathy for your oldest friend fills your heart, “Come here,” you murmur and you lead him to his bed where you sit down comfortably before lying down to hold him, “it will be all right whatever it is, you don’t have to tell me now.”

“Stay with me until I fall asleep?” he asks quietly as he holds onto your middle tightly as though he was afraid that you were going to leave at any moment.

You smile and kiss the top of his head, “I will stay for as long as you like, you need not worry my dearest friend,” you meant what you said and held him until his breathing evens and you tuck him in before leaving his room.

**~*~**

The following day you were walking toward the throne room, you all were in need to speak with the Allfather, perhaps convince him to lift Thor’s banishment for you all were in need of him back in Asgard for it was where he belongs.

“Allfather, we must speak with you urgently.” Lady Sif respectfully announced toward the King as you, she and the Warriors Three held your fist over your chests out of respect and proper protocol to the Allfather.

Yet from the moment you all look up you had expected to see the old white bearded man; your eyebrows shoot up from the surprise of seeing Loki in all his formal armor, sitting on the King’s throne.

You weren’t the only one rendered speechless; your hand gently falling to its side.

“My friends,” Loki greeted kindly from his place on the golden throne.

“Where’s Odin?” Fandral asks as you all now descend the polished stairs and walk toward Loki.

“Father has fallen into the Odinsleep. Mother fears he may never awaken again.”

“We would speak with her.”

“She has refused to leave me father’s bedside. You can bring your urgent matter to me,” he said and stands tall and proudly the King’s staff in hand, “Your King.”  
  
You stare at him in silent disbelief then you slowly lower yourself down to one knee and place your fist on your chest out of respect to the King, the others followed suit except for Sif who was the last to bow down to him.

Your mind began to race with thoughts of endless questions as to how and why this came to be. Why did he not tell you of his plans? Why was he being so secretive? Why does he continue to shut you out? What else was he planning?

“My King, we would ask that you end Thor’s banishment,” Lady Sif stated humbly as you held your gaze upon the man before you. Loki gives her a condescending look follow by a soft chuckle before addressing to her request.

“My first command cannot be to undo the Allfather’s last.”

“What?” you questioned in disbelief and watch as he walks down the tall steps to meet with you all.

“We’re on the brink of war with Jotunheim,” he continues and again you shake your head for you couldn’t believe that this was happening, “Our people need a sense of continuity, in order to feel safe in these difficult times. All of us must stand together for the good of Asgard.” He finishes, though it had seem that he addresses his last statement to Lady Sif for she quickly and defensively rose to her feet and since you were kneeling next to her, you held your arm out as to block her while Fandral and Hogun each holds her back by grabbing at her arms.

“Yes, of course,” you hear Fandral say in that charismatic tone.  
  
“Good, then you will wait for my word.”

“If I may,” you hear Volstagg query from behind you, your hand still up as to hold Lady Sif back, “beg the indulgence of Your Majesty to perhaps reconsider—“

“We’re done!” Loki spoke loudly and dismissively, his voice echoes throughout the throne room.

Your hand now lowers and you rise you to your feet as well as the other warriors behind you, you stare at him a moment until one by one you all begin to walk away from him. That is of course until Loki calls you back to stay behind.

“__________, you will stay here with me. I have urgent matters to discuss with you.”

Oh brilliant… at that the Warriors Three and Lady Sif stop, turn and stare at you.

You hold up your hand and give them a silent nod to indicate that you would be alright, then putting on your best smile you walk back toward your “King”.

“Leadership suits you,” you say in a light sardonic way with a smile to match your tone while you incline your head, your eyes never leaving his, “your _majesty_.”

His reaction was instant as you can see the glazed indifference dulling his eyes at your remark, “Be wary of how you address your King __________, we might be on friendly terms but do not forget your place.”  
  
“Very well m’lord,” your manner of tone had not change from how you previously addressed him, “may I inquire as to what you need of me?”

“I believe you may have some idea of what I may ‘need of you’,” he smiled slowly as he continues watching you from his seat on his throne, “come here,” he holds out his hand expecting you to take it in yours but instead you look at it and step forward closer to him.

He notices and drops his hand to rest it over the arm rest of the throne then glares at you, “You know, you aren’t usually this stubborn and a bit more agreeable to jump at any given opportunity to touch me.”  
  
You cross your arms and snort at that. While what he said was true for you would have, but at this moment, how can you possibly trust someone who was hiding and sneaking his way onto a place of power? It was absolute nonsense!    
  
“You dare mock your King with that chortle?” his eyes had become silted with suppressed rage as he now stands to tower over you but you hold your own.

“How could you not tell me last night what has been going on with you as of late? You are moody and secretive and I hardly see you anymore, where do you go? And just how can you continue to shut me out while keeping me blinded by our years of friendship?”

He stares at you for a moment before turning to pace a little the staff making soft clip-clopping sounds as he walks, “Do you trust me?” he asks quietly finally meeting your eyes again.

“Of course I do, you know that,”

“Then that should be sufficient.”

You grab at his forearm and he turns to look at you, “It is not. Not this time at least.”

He shakes your hand off of him before he addresses you again, “I need someone _I_ can trust,”

“And I need a King that I can put my trust _in_!”

He turns to look at you, anger evident and blazing in those sea colored eyes, “We’re done here.”

As much as it hurt you at that moment to be dismissed by him in such a manner; as though you were just another warrior with no ties to him, you held your tongue, give him a courtly bow then leave the throne room silently; the sounds of your boots against the polished floor trail behind you.

**~*~**

A few nights later, you and the other warriors were pacing endlessly in your prefer parlor, awaiting when you all would be called upon by the new King of Asgard. However, things had started to become quite hot around the collar even among the five of you.

“Our dearest friend banished, Loki on the throne, Asgard on the brink of war, yet you’ve managed to consume four wild boar, six pheasant, a side of beef and two casks of ale. Shame on you! Don’t you care?!” Fandral scolded at Volstagg who continued to gore himself on food while the blond swordsman knocks the plate out of the larger warrior’s hand.  
  
“Do not mistake my appetite for apathy!” Volstagg roars and stands to tower over Fandral menacingly.  
  
“Stop it both of you!” Lady Sif began as she and Hogun tried breaking the other two warriors apart, yet they continued to argue. You on the other hand sat before the fire closest to the window your head began to pound as the shouts and yelling starts to escalate.

“ENOUGH!” you shout from your place and you finally look up to the group, “There must be something that we can do apart from sitting here, waiting and going at each other’s throats like ravenous dogs!”

“You’ve always been close to Loki, haven’t you Lady __________? Can’t you convince him or have you any influence on him at all?”

You shake your head, “Not since our little encounter with him in the throne room he has not spoken to me. Each time I try to get within an inch of him I’m flanked by the royal guard.”

“Then that’s it then? We just stand here and wait for the inevitable?”

“No,” Sif began and began to look at you all one by one, “we all know what we have to do.”  
  
“We must go.” Agreed Hogun, “We must find Thor.”  
  
“It’s treason.” Argued Fandral.  
  
“To hell with treason, it’s suicide!” interjected Vostagg looking from one man to the other.  
  
“Thor would so the same for us.” Sif mumbled and you nod as you began to formulate a plan to keep Loki away from discovering what you all were planning to do.

“The four of you go retrieve Thor and bring him home; I will stay behind and keep Loki distracted.” You say while you release the tie on your hair to allow it to cascade over your shoulders, you could see the men in the room peak interest at your preening.

Fandral was the first to ask, “How do you plan to keep the Trickster distracted?”

Now that you finished fussing over your hair so that half of it rested over one shoulder **[7]** easily you look up at your friends and with a snap of your fingers your armor melted away to be magically replaced by another dress you owned but it was much more sidetracking than your usual form of attire **[8]**.

“The best and only way I know how,” you say as you run your hands gently and slowly over the soft fabric of the corset, “So what do you think?”

You see the jaws drop on both Fandral and Vostagg faces; Hogun however remained silent but the look in his eyes at your choice of attire said it all, you certainly were a sight to behold. Turning to Lady Sif who had a look of approval at your choice of dress nods and fluffs up your sleeves slightly, “You suppose it will work?”

“If it does not, I would gladly like to take the Lady _________ out for a drink or two,” said Fandral who takes your hand and kisses it then smiles and winks at you.

“I for one would invite the lady to dinner, followed by a walk around the gardens!” Volstagg voiced and takes your other hand to kiss it. 

“Gentlemen please, there is a mission that needs to be pulled and that is to bring Thor back to Asgard.” You say and take your hands away from the other two men, your face hot with embarrassment; it would seem that your dress was a fair distraction to say the least, “We can work on details later…” you added as an afterthought.  

“Now shush, Heimdall might be watching…”

At that the doors open to reveal a guard who stated that Heimdall requested to see the Warriors Three and Lady Sif, the four of them exited silently after the guard while you exited the parlor and walk briskly toward the throne room where you knew Loki was sitting on the large golden throne. 

“My Lord,” you say and curtsy before the “King” the moment you walked into the throne room and stand before him. You then see how his eyes light with interest at your state of attire and a smile graces his lips, “I was hoping to perhaps seek your council, privately?”

“Leave us,” he says to the two sentry guards until he addresses them again louder than before, “I said Leave us!” you smile with satisfaction as you see the surly looking pair leave when you once again turn your attention to your “King”.

Lifting your skirts so that you wouldn’t snag your footing and trip over the cloth, you now walk to him up the golden stairs until you finally made it close to him. Climbing up into his lap you settle yourself comfortably, your arms around his shoulders and your hair curtains around your face as you look down into his bright sea colored eyes. Loki on his part raises his hands so that they could roam over your thighs, his attention focuses on your face and a smirk lifts the corners of his mouth.

“I wanted to tell you that I was wrong,” you say with a small pout as you try to look apologetic, “and that I do trust you with all my heart and yes, you _can_ put your complete trust in me.”

“What brought this on?”  
  
“I hate that you no longer talk to me as you once did and I miss you. We used to share everything together and as of recent we don’t. I only want to be close to you again Loki, _King_ of my heart. To be your loyal companion and confidant.”

The moment you said this, you knew you had him for the manner of how his eyes dilated as well as how his hands reaches under your skirt to touch and press the sensitive points of your thighs. You close your eyes and utter a tiny little sigh at the touch.

“’King of your heart’?” he repeated your choice of words and you feel the fingers of his other hand running through your hair, “My loyal companion and confidant, you say?”

You feel your body shiver and you moan softly, “Uh-huh,” you grunt, your hips began to roll slowly over his lap and you now brace your hands on the arm rests of the large golden throne, “Ahh…” you breathe and arch your back.

Loki’s wandering hand reaches further under your skirts to discover that you were not wearing knickers of any kind and he groans delighted and runs a finger over your now wet and trembling folds.

“You keep surprising me more and more as the night progresses my dear,” he grins and kisses you full on the mouth while his cool fingers slide up deep inside of you causing you to moan against your kiss, your hips tremble in his lap.

Lowing his head, Loki pulls down the front of your dress which allows your breasts to bounce out of their protective cotton covering. The man under you now begins to lick and suck on your mounds greedily, taking one nipple between his teeth and rolls it in a way that further makes you gush against his driving fingers.

“My word __________,” Loki murmurs with a grin, “how disgustingly _wet_ you are…” using his magic you can feel the straps and buckles coming undone underneath and between your hot thighs followed by the feel of his cock rising up against your opening. You rock your hips to stimulate his tip and he groans again, one hand grips at your hips, the other slides its fingers out from your dripping center.

Bringing them to his lips he stares at you while licking his fingers clean and moans around the digits blissfully. Releasing his fingers with a soft pop he raises you up against him, already you can feel his cock below you steadying you to sit down on him good and proper.

“I need to be inside you __________,” he says and lowers you down slowly.  
  
You close your eyes and already you can feel the fat head of his cock breaching you when you hear the loud BOOM of the Bifrost activating which pauses Loki from your current activities on his lap, “What was that?”

“Tis the sound of my heart pounding for you my Lord!” you moan while you grab his hand from where it rested against your waist and place it against the top of your breasts, “Can you not feel it?”

You see the look in his eyes as he stared up at you revealing that he knew that it wasn’t your heart and that you were distracting him from something so obviously happening. Redoing his pants, straps and trousers, Loki lifts you up and pushes you out of his way to walk toward the large balcony overlooking Asgard. Incidentally it also held the view of the Bifrost. By the sound if it, it would seem that it was propelling itself before shooting across the universe. No doubt it was now transporting Sif and the Warriors Three to Midgard which then they would be able to retrieve Thor. You couldn't believe that you pulled it off. Loki now turns to look at you just as you were about finished fixing up your dress to look presentable, you can see the look of hurt and betrayal on his face.

“Do you honestly think me that stupid?”

_Yes._  
  
“No.”

“If I come to find that you are lying to me…” he began to threaten and leaves it hanging in the air as he walks off to investigate the situation.

At this point you feel nothing but disgust and discontent for him so you too leave to change out of your dress as you wait for the others to return with Thor which would hopefully be soon who knows what Loki will do during this time.

**~*~**

“He isn’t the same anymore,” you mumble while eating a bowl of fruit you set aside for yourself, “He’s so serious now and secretive; he’s hiding something.”

Your mother shakes her head as she continues to clean the fish she was about to prepare for the fryer, “I always knew that allowing you to be friends with him would get you into trouble,”

“Mother, I’m not the one in trouble!”

“Must you speak with your mouth full? Have I taught you nothing?” your mother nags as you roll your eyes at her, chew the food in your mouth and swallow it, “And don’t you roll your eyes at me either!”  
  
“ _Mother_!” you stress and by the look on your mother’s face, she did not like to be whined at, “I’m serious there is something that Loki is not telling me and I worry about him. He has not been the same since even before Prince Thor’s birthright celebration. I just can’t seem to guess what’s on his mind anymore and he always evades my questions whenever I ask him to talk to me! I’m just at my wits end with him, mother.”

You see smoke and debris as well as a large gaping hole in the side wall of the palace. That was where your father and brother were patrolling together, did something happen?

“What’s going on? What was that crash?”

“I don’t know mother, but I intend to find out.” You say while taking the scabbard of your sword from over the countertop you look over at your mother whose eyes were wide and filled with worry, “Do not worry mother, I shall return,” you smile before hurrying off toward the wreckage.

Incidentally, you were halted by two more sentries you knew who had also fought alongside your father and brother they both instruct you to head for the Healing Ward; your heart sank as you change direction toward the Healing Ward.

Upon entering the large room, you see your father lying in a bed wrapped in warming cloths as two nurses fussed over him one checking his vitals and the other was beginning to supply him with a warming draught.

“Father what happened?” you asked after rushing to his side, his skin was still freezing and he looked so old and small.

“Attacked!” he gasps, a trembling hand reaches for your own and he grabs onto it tightly, “Your brother—your brother--!”

“My brother? Father, what of Viggo?” you feel a pang of fear bursting brightly in your chest, your hands on the rough beard on your father’s face as his teeth chattered.

“Cold. Frozen.”

”What?” you feel tears in your eyes and you shake your head, “Father tell me he’s not--!”

“He needs his rest,” said one of the nurses attending to him, you turn and glare at her.

“Where is my brother?”

She stood still, a grim expression on her face, “Take me to him.” You demanded in a dangerous voice.

You were taken to a dimly lit room where there laid a body covered in a sheet over the medical bed. An overwhelming distraught fills your heart, “No,” you shake your head and you feel your eyes fill with tears, “No!”

Pulling back the sheet you are greeted with your brother’s face. It was as though the air escaped instantly from your body the moment you saw his sleeping like face. There was Viggo, frozen and blue with frost covering his silver and golden armor.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry for everything.” You sob as you reach to touch his face hoping with everything you had at the possibility of him waking up.

Your hands burned from touching his frozen skin but you didn’t care, your pain and your rage numbed you for only a little while until you were taken away due to your own injuries. Your hands were rubbed raw and pink as one of the Healers began to put a healing salve on your hands now. You stare blankly not realizing that the people around you began speaking to you as well as asking numerous questions. 

“__________?__________!” someone shakes you by the shoulders and you blink to look into your mother’s eyes, they were wet with tears, “It’s not true? Tell me it isn’t so!”  
  
You bite your lip and nod as tears once again floods and blind your vision as you hug her tightly to your chest, “Oh mother… I’ve been such a fool!” you sob into her shoulder, you feel your mother’s fingers curl into your hair in comfort as she was now petting your hair and shushing you, “I said things to him—things I regret!”

Your mother says nothing but holds you tightly as she too begins to sob when suddenly the entire ward shook violently for a few seconds, startling those working as well as the patients. Now what has happen?!

It wasn’t until several hours later that Queen Frigga enters the Healing Ward and approaches you as well as your mother. Your father was stabilized and now resting comfortably.

“Your Highness!” you hiccup and gingerly place your bandaged hand over your heart, “To what do we owe the honor of your company?”

Queen Frigga places her hand gently over your shoulder and she takes your mother’s as well, while she gives them each a gentle but firm comforting squeeze, “I came to personally give my condolences to your family, Viggo was an excellent warrior I am very sorry for your loss. The healers and nurses are doing everything they can to ensure that your husband,” at this she addresses your mother, “is stabilized, for the injuries that he had sustained during the attack were very great.”

“Thank you, your highness,” you mother spoke gently and inclines her head at the impeccably dressed woman, “your presence gives us great comfort during this most difficult of times.”

The Queen smiles gently then turns to you, “__________, I need to speak with you privately do you have a moment?”

Queen Frigga begins to tell you what has happened, how the fighting between Thor and Loki had commenced, how the Bifrost was destroyed up until she told you how Loki had fallen into the abyss beyond the universe. She must have known how close you and Loki must have been which was why she came to you to personally tell you of her second son’s demise. The tears wouldn’t stop, they couldn’t! It was as if your heart was flooded and there was nothing you could do to hold back the liquid within you any longer. You would cry and cry until you were exhausted and no longer had any more water left to give.

**~*~**

Several days had passed and already you seemed to be on the mend. You had locked yourself in your chambers not wanting to see or speak to anyone. The only thing you wanted for sustenance was cream custard and berries as well as water and sweet red wine. The time finally came when you would leave your room to join the others of the world outside of your chambers.

And it wasn’t too long after finding a spot to enjoy your silence and solitude did Prince Thor approach you.  
  
“How are you fairing Lady __________?” you hear Thor speak gently behind you, you turn slightly to look at him over your shoulder then back to what you were looking at before.

You had taken refuge on a balcony which oversees the rest of the kingdom up to the large snow tipped mountains. You were also sitting on the edge of that balcony, your legs dangling off the side rim. Your eyes were still red rimmed and puffy, the tip of your nose had also been red from the tears you had shed earlier. Things as of this point would be different as badly as you wanted to change them you know that you could only move up from this point.

“I’ve run out of tears to shed,” you say with a sniff and clear your throat, “if that is what you’re asking, Prince Thor.”

You hear his heavy footfalls behind you then you feel his large hand on one of your shoulders,

“I miss him as well,” he said while giving you a sideways embrace, “in spite of everything he has done.”

His words didn’t hit you for you had remained as you were; stoic and numb, “Prince Thor,” you begin to say as your eyes now look down toward the twinkling city below, “may I speak boldly with you?”  
  
“Yes, you may,” he turns to face you, “tell me what ails you.”

Stretching out your neck a little you try an estimate just how high you were from the point of where you sat to that of the ground below, “Do you think that if I were to jump, I could fly?”

You feel his hand on your shoulder squeeze tighter, “What do you mean by that Lady __________?”

“It’s only a question my Prince, I will not jump.” You promised, though the thought did cross your mind.

“Do you wish to fly?” he asked carefully as though he didn’t want to say anything that could set you off, “I can take you flying on Mjolnir if you would like.”

You smile a little at the thought of flying with the blond Prince as he held onto Mjolnir and you holding onto him, “Perhaps another time my Prince,” you look over at him now and smile at him, “Thank you.”

“For what?” his eyebrows furrow questionably.

“For checking in on me, for your words of comfort and most of all, I thank you for your friendship.” He grins at your words and you turn back to look out at the view, “Your banishment has certainly changed you for the better Prince Thor, I’m glad.”

“I thank you __________,”

“__________?” you turn to the sound of a woman calling your name and you turn to look over your left shoulder to see Queen Frigga standing a few feet behind both you and Thor, “Might I speak with you?”

“Queen Frigga!” you gasp with surprise and pull away from Thor to swing your legs back onto the balcony then hop off to properly bow at her, “How can I be of assistance?”

“There is much that I would like to discuss with you,” Frigga spoke kindly as she places her hand on your shoulder, she then looks over at Thor as she spoke again, “alone.”

“Of course, my Queen,”

The moment you were alone, Queen Frigga proceeds to tell you the true origins of her second son’s life and how her husband had come home from the world of the Frost Giants with a tiny whining bundle in his arms. How the babe grew and became a part of the royal family and how he would always be loved and remembered as loved in spite of the recent events that had occurred.

“Are you alright dear?”

“Permission to speak freely my Lady Queen?” you ask while trying to control the mix of emotions stirring up inside you.

“Granted,” she nods and watches you cautiously as your proper manner dropped, you were no longer stoic and devoid of how you felt.

“I am _not_ alright, I am angry,” you growl, your hands clenching into hard fists at your sides, “I am so _angry_ with him!” your voice begins to rise and you pace the balcony back and forth your hands were in your hair as you tried calming yourself but your emotions were running so high you thought you were going to burst from them, “We’ve shared almost everything together and he couldn’t tell me this? He must have known that’s why he’s been so secretive with me! What did he think I was going to do? I wouldn’t have cared! He was still the same person I’ve known for most of my life this far! Heaven help me,” you sigh and you run your fingers through your hair, “And then he lied… he _lied_ to me! And because of those lies I’ve lost everything! And it is far easier to be angry with him and loathe him more than anything!”

“Loki has done things that not even I can understand,” you hear the Queen’s calming voice say, you turn to look at her and you could see how sad she truly was, “I will always love my son, my second born, and it is exactly that memory I wish to preserve.”

Looking at her now, you can see the sadness in her eyes and you nod with understanding you weren’t the only one lost and in mourning, “Will you help me preserve it?”

There was only one thing you could do from this point on, and that was to move forward without looking back.  
  
“Of course I will my Queen, just tell me what you need for me to do and I will do it.”

…


	4. Tear You Apart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally after so long I have an update for this series, thanks to all of you who like, watch, and have bookmarked this series, it means a lot to me. So without further ado, enjoy the new chapter. :) 
> 
> I don't own you or the Avengers, just the spelling/grammar mistakes.

_“Could I hold you for a lifetime? Could I look into your eyes? Could I have this night, to share this night together? Could I hold you close beside me? Could I hold you for all time? Could I, could I have this kiss forever…”_ **[1]**

~*~

 _Chapter 4: Tear You Apart_ **[2]**

Two years later…

The Queen has chosen you to become her personal body guard, there could be no other warrior that she could put her complete trust in. And fortunately for you, you now have nothing left to lose; your brother was dead, your father forced into disability perhaps early retirement and as for Loki—it was still far too painful to think about him. At first you believed him to be dead then only later not only did you discover that he was very much alive but also that he was responsible for allowing Laufey and his frost giants passage into Asgard.

It was his fault. He was the one responsible for the pain you now had to endure for all the days of your life. It was much easier to be angry with him; to hate him. That was exactly what you felt for him now and that hate only fuels your desire to destroy him if ever given the opportunity.

As fate would have it, you were given an opportunity but it wasn’t to hunt and kill him. No, you were ordered to search and retrieve him which is what you were currently discussing with the Queen in her chambers.

“My Queen, it is because of Loki that my brother is dead and that my father will be forced into early retirement. I have lost everything because of his immature ambition to become King. So please forgive me but I cannot be trusted to bring him back safely.” You say after the Queen has personally asks it of you to bring both Loki and Thor back from Midgard.

“__________,” Queen Frigga spoke gently and civilly, “as a warrior of Asgard you are honor bound to obey the orders of both your King and Queen. My husband has already sent my eldest son to retrieve his younger brother and while I do not doubt my Husband’s judgment or the capabilities of my eldest son, I do know and understand Loki. He will not easily be subdued by Thor.” She spoke with a slight shake of her head.

You feel your fists tightening at your sides and your jaw clenches proudly, defiantly.

“Please __________, I implore you, not as your Queen but as a mother who simply wants both of her sons to return home safely,” Frigga spoke in a softer tone and you watch her approaching you then she places her hands on either side of your face, “Please see past your anger and fulfill my request, please.”

You close your eyes while taking a deep breath which you then exhale slowly through your nose. Opening your eyes once more you looked into the eyes of the Allmother and nod silently, “Aye my Lady Queen,” you say sounding resigned, “I will fulfill your request and bring your sons home.”

“Then come we have no more time to lose.” The Queen takes your hand and leads you in through a secret passage from inside her chambers and leads you to another room which you had never seen before. There were also a total of six women in the room as well and they were all wearing sage robes.

“The spell I will be using to transport you to Midgard will be a grueling one; I will not be able to bring you back this way.”

“My Queen then how will we return to Asgard once Loki has been captured?” you weren’t worried about Thor you knew he would be compliant to come with you.

“The item what they call the Tesseract will allow you all to be transported home, if you fail you might not be able to return for a long time,”

“The Tesseract? What is an infinity stone like that doing in Midgard my Queen?”

“There are so many stories surrounding its disappearance from what I can remember, it had been stolen then passed down for so long that it became lost over time but now it has appeared on Midgard,”

“I see…”

“Have you the personal item that once belonged to my son?”

“Of course my Queen, it will be the first time in many years that it will come off my person,” you admit while you retrieve a golden chain from around your neck and pull it off. Frigga smiles at the item you presented her and she takes a small bottle of silver powder then opens the cork stopper to sprinkle a bit of the powder onto the item in your palm.

“This will help you to find him; Midgard is a vast planet, not much land and it is covered almost entirely with water. Use everything I have taught you my dear, you will need it.”

You nod once and you pace a hand over your heart in respect to your Queen, “Then worry not my Queen, the three of us will come home together, this I promise you.”

“I know that you will not fail, may the heavens protect you.” She smiles and takes a step back as the circle of women begin to chant, the Queen follows along with them as she takes and hold two hands of the chanting women in her own.

You feel a gripping force surrounding you and it felt as though you were in a confine tight space which pushes and expels you with such force you almost feel suffocated by it. You gasp softly the moment you feel that you were no longer propelled across the universe and you open your eyes and find yourself in a deserted forest. Did it work? Were you on Midgard?

Walking up the small hill behind you, you reach the top to see a large city clouded in an opaque fog, you now reach into one of the pouches on your belt to retrieve the enchanted item that once belongs to Loki.

“Take me to your Master,” you whisper to the item into your hand and the magic began to activate into the form of a thin golden beam of light which pointed to the sky. Looking up you sigh with irritation, Loki never made things easy.

Using a shape shifting spell, you transform yourself into a bird **[3]** and you continue to follow the beam of light which would remain activated until you reach a large flying metal fortress. You fly close enough so that when you transform back you land swiftly on your hands and on one bended knee.

Standing, you walk over to a metal doorway and try to open it when you spy a red and green blinking pad. Placing your hand over the pad you use magic to activate the door which slides open for you.

Walking down the large metallic corridor you continue to follow the golden thread until you meet with two guards, one who brandished a small handheld metal tube the other held a bigger one in his arms.

“Freeze!” shouted the man who held the larger of the weapons.

“Ma’am this is a restricted area!” said the second man who was pointing the small metal tube at you, “How did you get in?”

“Hill, we have a stow-away in grid E-4,” said the other man who spoke into his shoulder, humans were odd creatures indeed.

Choosing not to say anything you instead raise your hands which seem to have set off quite an alarm between the two men and had pointed their weapons higher. You then cross your palms one over the other and wave at them so that you became invisible to their eyes.

“She disappeared! Hill the unidentified woman disap--”

 _‘These two are going to spoil everything!’_ You think and decide to put them to rest by punching them unconscious and taking their weapons.

Apparently you’ve created an uproar by your presence, oh well you had your own agenda as you remain focused on following the golden beam until it lead you to another large metallic door, two guards stood proudly at either side of the door. With a wave of your hands you knock both of the men into each other hard enough so that you walk over them and enter the now large room.

You are greeted with the sight of Loki pacing back and forth like a caged animal ready to strike at anything that dared enter his glass cage. He then stood still the closer you approach the front of the glass; a cruel smile lifts at the corners of his mouth.

“Now what have we here?” Loki smirks and looks directly at you as though he could see you, perhaps he did, “I know you’re there now show yourself!”

A rage fills you up inside, this was it! This was your chance you could kill him if you wanted to! But then thoughts of the Queen filled your mind and you huff dispiritedly while you reveal yourself to him, Loki’s reaction was instantaneous.

“__________! What are you doing here?” he asked with wide sea colored eyes as he looks at you from head to foot.

“I should be asking you the same thing,” you say while trying to keep yourself composed and you walk over to the glass to stand before him, “You sir are supposed to be dead.”

“You sound disappointed…”

“Quite. Given more to the fact that I actually shed tears for you. If given my way I wouldn’t have bothered trying to free you and instead just leave you here to rot.”

“__________,” you can hear the sound of Prince Thor’s voice addressing you from behind and when you turn, his gaze looks neutral though curious to find you standing before him. Standing alongside him was another man, a Midguardian for certain, “What are you doing here?”

“My Prince,” you incline your head respectfully then continue, “I have been given specific orders to come to Midgard and to retrieve both you and Loki as to bring you both home to Asgard.”

“And who gave you these orders?”

“That I cannot tell you, but I can assure you that it wasn’t your father who sent me,”

“Well not to switch programs or anything,” the smaller man speaks, “but you did mention leaving Loki in his cage? You still can you know,” Turning your attention to the brunet man with the facial hair he continues to address you while wearing a smug looking smile, “he’s perfectly secure in that jar.”

You genuinely laugh, “Are you absolutely certain that the Trickster is properly quarantined in this holding cell? Honestly, you humans haven’t mastered that “technology”--as you would call it-- that would be sufficient enough to contain a prisoner such as this creature.” You now walk to the key pad and you immediately start to push random buttons in the hopes that one of them would open the cell.

“I am still present in the room…” Loki gives you an indignant pout obviously upset that you would call him a creature.

“Well isn’t that what you are?” you sneer then you twist at one of the cool metal knobs.

“Ooh I like her,” you hear the brunet say while addressing Prince Thor, who then narrowed his eyes to you and to what you were doing, “I had started not to like her when she insulted my cage but then when she talked back to Reindeer Games I have a whole new respect for her. And she’s kinda hot too.”

You turn your attention to look at the smaller human then shift your eyes to Prince Thor, “My Prince, this tiny man speaks ill of me. Might I be granted permission to beat him until I feel that he is truly sorry for showing me such disrespect?”

Thor chuckles now, “Lady __________, I do not believe he means any harm. It is his manner of voicing that he finds you immeasurably attractive.”

“Though I would enjoy watching you beat the man of iron to a pulp.” said Loki while he rises up a hand.

You turn to look at Loki still in his glass cage now smirking sardonically at you and you shake your head, “Shut up.” You say and return to your task of trying to open the cell.

And when you still couldn’t activate the door you turn to glower at Loki, “Why in the Nine am I even bothering with this, just get out of there right now, you fool.”

This sets both Thor and Tony off with alarm.

“__________, do not do this, do not free him!”

Loki chuckles and disappears from inside the glass cage then goes to stand by your side. Perhaps he thought that you and he were allies since you came to “free” him, but he was wrong. Two years can change a person so much, he must have forgotten just how and what he left you behind to deal with.

“I’m sorry my Prince,” you meant it, “but I have my own orders, I will be by to collect you later, this I promise. But I must safely secure him first,” Turning your attention to Loki, you look to take in his appearance, “You’ve gotten taller and your hair is longer.”

Loki chuckles and takes your hand into his; you could feel the small hairs at the back of your neck rise at the contact, “Shall we then my dear?”

“Idiot, I am not here to rescue you, you’re my prisoner.”

Loki looks at you then chuckles bemused, “Your prisoner? My dear you don’t have the audacity to—“

“Sleep,” you say while you wave your hand once across his face, immediately he falls limp and asleep as you catch him and heft him over your shoulders like a hunting prize, “Gentlemen,” you say with a curt nod then you use a transportation spell to take you somewhere safe and hidden from prying eyes.

**~*~**

It wasn’t a bedchamber of Asgard but the room was suitable enough for the night at least **[4]**. Dropping Loki onto the bed you straighten him out to make him comfortable on the bed. Taking the enchanted item out of your pocket, you then place it around his neck and re-clasp the chain, you then place the small golden heart right at the center of his chest then you lean in to whisper against his temple, “You’ve done me a great and terrible wrong Loki of Asgard and as long as I live and breathe, I will never let you forget that.”

Loki had look so sweet and vulnerable asleep on the bed, you then start to think back and reminisce when you were both children and when things had seem so simple then; a time when you both didn’t have a care in the world and your only focus was by being content with each other's company.

You suddenly feel lightheaded and wince as the room begins to spin slightly; it had seemed that the spell you used on Loki wore you down a bit more than you anticipated. However, the spell should hold him until morning, “You are more trouble than you’re worth,” you groan and crack your back slightly then make yourself comfortable on a soft looking chair close to the bed, it welcomes you with its plushness.

It had happen so quickly that you couldn’t quite remember when exactly you had fallen asleep.

**> >>**

_“__________? Hey! __________!” Loki waved and then ran toward you in the large garden._

_“Loki, what is it?” you heard yourself asking while a little surprised by his unsually enthused greeting._

_You then see him lifting and presenting something small and golden to you in his palm. You couldn’t help but ooh and gaze at it; it was really beautiful._

_“Will you wear it?” Loki asked with a smile as he presented you with the golden heart necklace. Your eyes meet and you were greeted with such a bright and hopeful smile, how in the universe could you resist such a gift? Oh yes… there was a reason and your own smile faded, your happiness shrinking._

_“Shouldn’t you be giving this to someone more worthy?”_

_“__________ what are you talking about? You are worthy!”_

_You couldn’t help the blush now coloring your cheeks just as Loki unclasps the chain and fastens it around your neck. He then lifts your hair to allow the chain to press against your skin._

_“It’s beautiful, thank you.” You smile up at him, your fingers enclosing around the tiny golden heart._

_“I am most pleased that you’ve accepted my gift, you do know what this means don’t you?”_

_“No, what?” you turn up to look at him curiously; the smile on his face once you both made eye contact causes your heart to hammer dangerously._

_“That you are mine and one day you will be my wife.”_

**> >>**

You wake yourself to find Loki still lying in the same position on the bed, good he hasn’t woken up yet. Wow… that dream though. You had not thought about that day in ages… could it be the work of the necklace? Was it really that powerful? Or could it be the combination of the Queen’s own magic and that of the significance of the necklace working side by side? Whatever it was, it would have to wait until later.

Quickly changing your attire to what a woman of Midgard would wear **[5]** you conjure a bit of parchment and a writing quill from thin air with a wave of your hand and you scribble a few instructions for the man on the bed. You then leave the room by transporting yourself outside of the large building when an enticing smell reaches your nose. You’ve read about the different foods of Midgard but you never truly tasted them yourself.

Entering the establishment where the smell was coming from, you see a young woman with a green cap and matching apron tinkering with some sort of flat black device in her hand, she looked up the moment you were close to the counter; the young woman smiles, "Good morning! May I help you?"

"Good morning," you say with a polite smile, "could you tell me what that amazing smell is?"

"Oh!" the young woman blinks and looks behind her at the glass pot of hot black liquid behind her, "I think that's the coffee, would you like a cup?"

"Yes please,"

At once, the young woman behind the counter started to prepare the steaming dark drink into a cup with a saucer and sets it down on the counter, "would you like anything else? We have fresh croissants, blue berry muffins and bagels too."

"No thank you,"

"Cream and sugar on your right," the young woman smiled and points over to your right side where there was a smaller counter with condiments for the coffee as well as napkins, utensils and other things.

"Thank you," you smiled while taking the cup to the second counter adding only the cream then you take your cup outside on the open patio.

You were about to take a sip from your cup when you were interrupted, "What have you done to it?"

"Good morrow to you as well Loki," you say over your cup giving it a light blow before taking a sip. At once the intense flavor of the coffee hits your tongue, you couldn't help but smile, this was actually a wonderful drink.

"I am not one for being played with __________, now tell me what have you done to it," he demands once more while gesturing to the trinket around his neck.

"An honesty spell," you say after another sip, "depending on which one of us wears it, we can neither tell one another lies and neither of us can hear the lies being said."

He stares at you incredulously while all you do is smile smugly.

"And the memories?"

You frown slightly at the mention of them, "If you have something to feel guilty about then it's a battle between you and your own consciousness I have nothing to do with it." Which was true, you did have your suspicions over whether or not the combination of your magic and the Queen's had anything to do with triggering the memories of your childhood with Loki.

"Explain to me why my father sent you here. I can understand Thor but why you?"

“Whatever gave you the impression that it was the King who transported me here?” you ask while setting the cup back down gracefully on its saucer, “Can’t you think of someone else who wishes for your return?”

“You don’t mean to say my mother sent you?” you could hear the cynicism in his voice and when you look up to meet his eyes with your own, you could see the realization in his eyes that you were indeed telling the God of Lies the absolute truth.

“Aye, she did. Loki, your mother wants you to come home as do I,” reaching out to run and place your hand over his own cold hand, “please come back with me?”

This was killing you. You were so close to him right now and yet you could do nothing to stake your lust for revenge on him. Loki must have realized that there was something suspicious about your actions when he looks straight into your eyes.

“Do you recall when we first met?” he asked while looking at your hand over his, “When you said that as long as I held onto your hand that you wouldn’t let me fall?”

You nod and he looks up at you again, his eyes were now dull almost soulless, “Where were you when Thor allowed me to fall from the Bifrost?” Letting go of your hand before you could answer him, Loki rounded over to your side of the table, his voice vindictive and spiteful.

“Approach me again and I will end you.” He threatened as he towered over you and a sudden rage fills your heart as you turned your attention up to him, your eyes locking. You stood up quickly, knocking over the chair you sat in by allowing it to crash noisily behind you.

“Loki of Asgard,” you address his title formally and clearly, even the Midgardians began to look over at the two of you some with panicked looks on their faces others looked annoyed and some interested that there was going to be a fight between the couple, “is that a challenge?”

You see him blink, “A challenge? Why no, it was not,” he then leans in and hisses in a harsh whisper, “It is a promise.”

Oh he knew how to tear you apart from the inside with only his words and they did cut you right to the core, but you wouldn’t allow him to see how it truly affected you. It was so much easier to be angry than upset.

“Very well,” you sneer then grab at him by the shoulder, “then our battle shall be a private one.” With that you close your eyes and you transported the two of you outside of the city.

Pushing him away from you, you watch as he topples over, not expecting to be transported so quickly, “Exactly how much magic did my mother teach you?” he asks as he hefted himself up to his feet and stands now facing you; he was two strides away from you now.

“Enough to use against you if needed or necessary, it is after all an honor to be chosen by the Queen to be her personal guard,” your body began to glow a scintillating white light until you felt your Asgardian armor materializing on your body. Your sword was now resting in its scabbard against your right shoulder blade. Reaching behind you to grab at the handle, you unsheathed the long sword and pointed the blade at him in challenge, “Get up.”

"What is this? What are you doing?"

"What do you think this is? You've fought everyone else on this godforsaken planet and I am sure you and Thor have gone a few rounds before allowing yourself to be captured,"

"You've gotten quite a violent streak on you since we last saw one another. __________, can't we just talk about this, for old time's sake?"

He was trying to distract you with that infamous charm of his. But it wasn't going to work this time, no way no how.

“I didn’t come all this way just to talk,” you find yourself saying, “we shall fight and I shall defeat you and drag you--broken arse and all--back home.”

“I highly doubt that darling. Now tell me, why did the Allmother hand you such a foolish request?”

“Her request to bring you home is not a foolish one and she did not ask me as the Queen but as your Mother,” you say then you added as an after thought, "As much as I was against coming to get you I had no other choice."

"Why is that?"

"Because I can't be trusted to bring you back home alive," you then begin to attack him while Loki uses both the now materialized staff in his hand as well as his magic to block your aggressive attacks.

The two of you continued your adrenaline rushed battle, sharing both bruises, scratches as well as exhausted limbs. You both continued this way until at last you knock the staff out of his hand just after he made you drop your sword.

One of your hands gripped at his neck while with the other hand you used to draw your dagger from your belt and you hover it over his heart, however something stopped you once you saw the look of realization in his eyes.

Your vision swam with images of your past of you and Loki sharing sweet innocent moments together. Holding hands, laughing, sparing, sharing meals together, the stolen glances even the secret smiles when you hoped that no one was looking...

"Your hand is shaking," he said softly while staring into your eyes.

"Shut up," you hiss and already you can see your vision blurring from the tears now filling your eyes.

"You can't do it can you? You may say that you want to but you can't do it," he was mocking you now and you feel a tingling burst of self consciousness buzzing in the center of your chest.

Even more images flashed through; the feel of the wind in your hair, the deep greens and blue that contrast the forest; those same colors that match his eyes... The view of a lake, the shade of a tree, the sound of his voice while he read to you... The feel of his lips when he gave you your first kiss...

"I SAID SHUT UP!" you scream and you punch him instead.

Climbing off him you retuned your dagger back into the hilt on your belt while you summoned your sword back to you with a gesture of your hand and you feel the hilt of it returning to your open palm.

Behind you, you hear Loki cough and laugh, "I knew it! I knew you wouldn't do it!"

"Just because I didn't, doesn't mean I can't or won't!"

"So then why didn't you?"

"I don't know," you genuinely didn't, your heart was at a crossroads for half of you wanted nothing more than to make him suffer for everything he had put you through while the other half of you continues to love him and you hold onto all of the good memories that the two of you have ever shared.

And it was also those good memories that caused your anger to flare when you turn and look at him, "I could have helped you! I would have done anything for you if you had asked it of me!”

There was silence between the two of you until Loki responds to your reply, “The necklace was never really enchanted, was it?”

“I don't even know anymore, but what I do know is that you know more than anyone else over how powerful words can be,” you watch as he pulls the chain off his neck and stares at the golden heart in his palm, “and I took full advantage of that because I knew that I could.”

“You’ve perverted this gift I gave to you; do I mean so very little to you now?”

“MY BROTHER IS DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU!” you feel the tears rolling down your cheeks, “My brother!” you pounded your fist to your own chest once at him; “That night when you brought Laufey into Asgard along with his sentries my father and brother were standing guard by your father’s bedchamber. You didn’t care so long as you came out looking like a hero, the one who defeated your father’s greatest enemy!”

“__________... I’m sorry I didn’t know I—“

“It is too late for apologies,” you cut him off, both your heart and anger were overshadowing all logical thought for you wanted nothing more than to punish him. To make him physically hurt the way you were hurting now, “I had also believed that you were dead so what was there left for me to do? I mourned for you!” You seethed feeling your blood boiling with anger and frustration, “And then I come to find that not only were you very much alive but that you were the cause of my losing everything!” you kick his side and you watch as he rolled over and curls into himself with a groan.

“You asked why I wasn’t there for you Loki? I have no idea what you could possibly mean by that because I was always there for you! Even when you flew off the handle I was always there when you needed me. Now my question to you is where in the name of Hel was my best friend when I needed him? Oh yes that’s right, he was too blinded by his ambition and greed with the burning need to outdo his older brother by lying and cheating his way onto the throne!”

“HE IS NOT MY BROTHER!”

“THEN WAS IT ALL WORTH IT?!” you shouted back with equal volume and you stare at him, “Was losing me worth it?”

You watch as he now stands before you, beaten and exhausted from your battle staring at you speechlessly as he watches your tears rolling clear simultaneous pearls at a time from the corners of your eyes and down your cheeks your lashes wet with them.

“You’ve shut me out Loki, you were my best friend, my first love and you’ve left me behind. You’ve kept me in the dark about everything so how do you expect me to feel? How can I trust your words when all you’ve ever shown me in these last three years was nothing but malice and pain and tears?”

“Because I was never good enough for you,” he says behind you and you turn around to look at him, there wasn’t so much as a scratch on him.

“What?!” you asked between his words and the fact that the Loki that you had been beating had begun to disappear into nothing, you then turn back to him and glare.

“I WAS NEVER GOOD ENOUGH FOR ANYONE!”

“DECIEVER!” you shout and charge for him with your sword when he disappears again, "WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"Always right behind you," he whispers against your right ear and you suddenly feel something cold pressed against the center of your chest. Looking down you can see the sharp end of the scepter while the thin misty threads from the glowing blue center started to lick at your armor.

"Going to kill me Loki?" you asked and you slowly closed your eyes, "Then you better make it count, you only have one shot."

"No darling, I will not kill you," he purrs against your neck, this takes you slightly aback.

"But didn't you say--?"

"I will not kill you for I will instead open your mind, it is the only way I can ensure your safety."

 _'My safety?'_ you wonder silently and you feel more tears well up in your eyes, _'Not anymore.'_

"Why would you--?" you can feel his influence spreading over your chest, partially suffocating you until it was as though your body remembered how to breathe, making you relax.

"I can't lose you again..." his voice sounded so far away; your vision begins to fade into the darkness of your mind; you were all alone.

You could hear his voice whispering in your ear, telling you what he wanted you to do, telling you what was expected of you. Obediently you felt your body move on its own accord and your mouth opened and moved to respond to the voice currently speaking to you.

It looked and felt like a dream. The things you've seen and the manner of your movements, it was as though you were walking around in someone elses' body and you were along for the ride.

"I have something for you," Loki places a silver gauntlet **[6]** around your right forearm and you felt the gentle dull buzz of power it gave you, "It was forged with the same metal as Mjolnir so its magical properties will enhance your own magic ten times fold and will protect you from most if not all weapons used against you."

"And once this world is yours," you hear yourself ask while the hand that wore the silver detailed gauntlet reaches up to gently caress the side of his face, "what will you do?"

Taking the necklace, Loki magically fixes the broken clasp and places the jewelry around your neck, the small golden heart glittered back in its rightful place, "I will make do on the promise I made to you the first time I gave you this trinket."

"I will hold you to that," you purr while bringing his face down to kiss him hungrily.

_'No! NO! Stop it! This isn't right! It's not supposed to be this way!'_

_'Isn't this what you've always wanted? What you've desired after all this time?'_

_'No! Not like this...'_

_'No...?'_

"We must have a proper reunion," You hear yourself suggest breathlessly while with a grin on your face, "shall we head back to that bedchamber and be rid of these clothes?"

_'NOOOO!'_

"After the war my love," Loki promises with a grin to rival yours and you could feel his hand cupping the back of your neck, "Right now I need you to do something for me."

"Anything." you replied sounding like a woman in love.

"You will be my eyes and ears for the time being. You will distract Thor and his merry band of mortals as well, kill them if you must."

"Why?"

"Because they will ruin everything that has been accomplished so far. And once they are out of the way we can do as we please, this I promise you."

That sounds like an excellent idea or so you thought to yourself.

 _'Oh but it is,'_ you hear Loki's soothing voice, _'trust me...'_

**~*~**

After returning together to the city, both you and Loki stood atop the tallest structure awaiting the return of its creator: Tony Stark; the man you met on the giant metal fortress when you first went to collect Loki from the glass containment.

You wanted to taunt him to call him out, to tell this puny human with whom he was dealing with and make him bend to your will until he breaks in two. However you couldn't as much as you wanted to there was something preventing you from doing so.

 _'I know you wish to tease him my dear __________,'_ you hear Loki's voice whisper with a smile, _'But the man of iron is mine to crush.'_

A wave of disappointment washes over you and perhaps Loki was able to sense that for he turned to look at you, his hand gently cups your cheek.

"My dear, go find my brother and give him as well as his companions a proper greeting," he suggested with a charming smile as you obediently transport yourself to another building some odd feet away from the large tower.

The moment that you settled yourself did you see the large blue beam shoot into the sky; the war was starting in a few moments this world would be Loki's and yours.

_'What...what?'_

You were soon distracted by the arrival of Prince Thor as well as another flying machine. Thor and Loki were both in battle while the flying machine hovered dangerously close to them; nothing was going to harm Loki, only you would have the pleasure of touching him. Raising your hand up, you send out a heated blast from your hand, directly hitting the flying machine and you watch it begin to spiral out of control toward the ground.

Victory!

With a pleased smile you transport yourself to the ground finding three of the Prince's mortal companions staring up at the glowing and gaping hole in the sky, "Beautiful isn't it?" you hear yourself asking them when three sets of eyes focused on you.

"Ma'am, there's nothing beautiful about this!"

"Steve wait," the red headed woman spoke and held back the man who wore the blue armor, "That's Loki's girlfriend."

"Pfft when the hell did he have time to find a girlfriend?"

"She's the one that set him free, stupid move if you ask me."

"All I hear are petty words of cowardice, shall we battle?" you say and draw your sword from behind your back.

"Are all Asgardians this volatile?"

You were just about to answer when you hear the sharp high pitched sound of mjolnir heading your way when you lift up your gauntlet claded arm to evade the attack.

It was like the sound of a gong and the back lash of the force from the hammer pushes you back slightly; lowering her hand you see Thor slightly injured and staring hard at you.

"Lady __________!" he called with a pant, the bright blues of his eyes had dulled the moment he saw the manner of your stance; your sword in hand, "Stop this! Why are you behaving this way?" you could hear the desperation in Thor's voice.

"Loki must have used the staff on her. She's his puppet now."

_'What? Puppet? No... No Loki wouldn't have--! That's not what--!'_

"Puppet? Why am I doing this?" you hear your own voice asking.

 _'What are you waiting for?'_ Loki's voice whispers inside your head, _'Eliminate them, they are insignificant.'_

"But why?" you wondered when you suddenly felt a splitting headache which makes you grab at your head and you let out a piercing scream.

_'You cannot resist me...'_

"Stop it!"

_'You are mine!'_

"No! I'm not!"

 _'_________...'_ Loki's voice whispers your name.

"AHHH!"

You blink your eyes and squint your vision into focus, the colors around you were saturated far too deeply until at last you were able to see what was what and who was who.

"__________?" Thor asks hesitantly while peering into your face, "Are you yourself once more?"

That was when it all came flooding back to you, "I'm going to kill him..." you say softly as the rage you've felt before sparked anew in your blood and your hands balled into tight fists at your sides.

"What?"

"I'm going to kill him! I'm going to rip off his skin and use it as a rug for my fireplace!" you growl as a series of torturous thoughts began to flood your mind, "I'm going to pound him into pudding. I'm going to gouge out his eyes! I'm going to--!" you then make a frustrated growl.

"Yeah we get it, you want to kill him," said the man dressed in black who equippted himself with arrows, "So what's the deal with these guys? We take 'em out or what?"

"We do it as a team," spoke the man in blue.

"I have unfinished business with Loki." said Prince Thor rather authoritatively.

"Oh yeah? Get in line," the man with the arrows spoke again while preparing his bow.

"If anyone has unfinished business with Loki, it would be me," you say while reaching out for your fallen sword, the hilt flies into your hand anew.

At once the man dressed in blue, you later find out his name to be Steve, began to speak orders giving all of you something to do but you had no time for this, "Unlike most of you, I can at least do this," with a snap of your fingers you easily transport yourself back to the large tower where you and Loki had been standing side by side earlier, "Let's see what have we here," you hear yourself ask out loud and head for the large blue glowing projector.

Reaching out toward the blue transparent sphere, you could feel the burn of the powerful energy rebounding on the force you were trying to press upon it, "Blast it all," you say through gritted teeth as you try again to penetrate the barrier so that you could extract the cube.

You had been about to reach further toward the center, your fingertips barely grazing the flat surface when you were thrown back by the force of the Tesseract. The energy was fighting back against you and it had thrown you off the side rail of the balcony. You fell a good twenty feet from the ledge and you landed hard onto the ground. When you came to, you were greeted by the large backside of the green monster.

“Puny god…” growled the monstrous green beast who stomped away but not before looking at you prior to exiting the room.

Looking at the ruined floor your eyes widened as you see Loki lying in to rubble of the floor. He seemed to be too stunned to say or do anything including moving. At once you realized what must have happened and you walk into the room while wearing a triumphant smirk.

Squatting down close to him he looks up at you pathetically, “You deserved that and more,” you could no longer suppress your glee and your face breaks out into a smile then a giggle, “Though I must say I’m rather disappointed that I missed it,” you smile genuinely now, “Perhaps there will be a repeat performance? By the look of him I do believe he would be more than agreeable to indulge me. Now while I'm here I suppose I can get this over with,” reaching behind you, you take a pair of a golden set of cuffs which were created to magically suppress Loki’s power.

You held them up at him to show him exactly what you had in mind; his eyes widened, “No, no, no!”

“Now my darling, be a good boy and hold still for me as I bind you.” you countered with a grin of satisfaction.

Securing him both quickly and easily, you bind his wrists then you take up the muzzle from a pouch you carried at your side and place it easily over his mouth, “Oh you look absolutely divine, like sweet little pet.”

He glares at you while trying his hardest to say something and it causes you to frown, “Oh,” you shake a finger at him, “we must not say anything rude, that’s a bad pet,” you chide and lift him up to a sitting position by the thick chains of the cuffs, "As much as I would love more than anything than to stay here and use you the same way you used me, you are going to be a good boy and wait here for me right here. I have to make myself useful and help your brother clean up the mess you've made."

"Mmrrppphhh!" Loki muffles and stares at you with glaring eyes.

"Now that IS a look," you smirk and grip his chin in your palm so that you force him to look up at you, "don't worry pet, we will have plenty of time before I turn you over to the King and trust me when I say that you are going to wish that the monster had killed you especially with the torture I have in mind,"

Taking your leave from the large broken room, you teleport yourself to the ground again to help fight off as many of the Chitauri as you could with the others that is until you see a large flying object that looked similar to a spear, there was also a small crimson, golden person redirecting the flying spear.

"What is he doing?" you asked Steve who stopped to watch as Tony aimed the white spear into the gaping dark hole in the sky and disappeared.

Minutes passed when suddenly the Chitauri drop to the ground some simultaneously and others one by one until they were all dead. He did it. The man of Iron did it! But where was he?

"Close the hole," said Steve when you turn to look at him.

"But the man of Iron has not returned! We cannot close the portal just yet! The Chitauri are dead, there is nothing escaping that portal now!"

"We can't take that chance! Natasha close it now."

The moment the portal was closed did you see a crimson object-- no a body falling out of the sky, you felt your heart clench in your chest and a jubilated rise seeing that Tony had made it out of the portal.

"He's not stopping."

Just as you were about raise your hands to stop him from falling did the monstrous green giant fly from out of nowhere and catches the crimson body until he settled back down onto the road and in the center of all of you. Thor bends over to remove the golden tinted mask while Steve hovers over the fallen man to check if he was breathing.

"Is he dead?" you ask as seconds go by and Tony still remained motionless on the ground; until the beast releases a roar that not only causes you to jump with surprise but Tony as well.

"What happened? Please tell me that no one kissed me." the panic in his voice causes you to chuckle, he turned to look at you, "Except for you, you're more than okay."

"We stopped the invasion," Steve smiled, a look of relief on his face.

"We did? Yay! Way to go guys! Hey there's a Shawarma place down the street I have no idea what it is but I want to go try it."

"Victory party's gonna have to wait, we still have one more thing we need to clean up after."

Upon returning to what was left of Stark Tower you all find Loki just as you had left him, tied and bound until he sees you and starts to muffle numerous somethings behind his mask.

"Is that your doing?" Tony asked looking over at you which you acknowledged your reply with a shrug and a nod, "Not bad."

Then with a short exhausted sigh you turn to look at Prince Thor, “May we return to Asgard now?”

"Indeed," the Thunderer said in accordance to your words, "There is now plenty that needs to be repaired the moment of our return."

…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Number Bullets:**
> 
>  
> 
> [1] [Can I Have This Kiss Forever](http://youtu.be/TSxif8KZO9k) \- Enrique Iglesias & Whitney Houston
> 
> [2] [Tear You Apart](http://youtu.be/kEmumQwRAVA) \- She Wants Revenge
> 
> [3] You as a [bird](http://z4ki.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/peregrinefalconanatum.jpg)
> 
> [4] The [room](http://photos.mandarinoriental.com/is/image/MandarinOriental/new-york-13-suite-central-park-view-bedroom?%24DetailBannerHeight%24) you transport Loki to. 
> 
> [5] The [outfit](http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NTQxWDU1MA==/z/NQkAAMXQVT9SyDCj/%24_12.JPG?rt=nc) you wear.
> 
> [6] Your [gauntlet](http://www.figures.com/forums/attachments/news/29007d1341324270-assassins-creed-gauntlet-replica-1eziogauntlet3.jpg).


	5. Bad Company

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can friendship and love truly survive after a Lifetime of pain, suffering and lies?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So FINALLY I finished this chapter, it took what felt like forever to finish but it's finally done. I had to watch Thor: The Dark World like a million times so I can get inspiration to finish this chapter and a fair warning this chapter is LONG and I do mean long, it's like 12K words which for me that many words in ONE chapter? Damn.
> 
> Anyway hope you enjoy! :)
> 
> 1] [Can I Have This Kiss Forever](http://youtu.be/TSxif8KZO9k) \- Enrique Iglesias & Whitney Houston
> 
> [2] [Bad Company](http://youtu.be/QAl9kZCwOPE) \- Five Finger Death Punch

Lifetime

“Could I hold you for a lifetime? Could I look into your eyes? Could I have this night, to share this night together? Could I hold you close beside me? Could I hold you for all time? Could I, could I have this kiss forever…”[1]

~*~

Chapter 5: Bad Company[2]

"I have brought him home as promised my Lord," you say loudly the moment you reached the foot of the large throne where Odin sat proudly, you then turned to bow respectfully at Queen Frigga who stood onto your left, "my Lady," you spoke gently then handed the large heavy chain where you were were dragging Loki from, to one of the many guards who escorted the pair of you down the stretch of the throne room. 

Stepping aside without looking at the chained man you walked to take your place back next to the Queen's right side.

"Loki," Frigga called her son's name kindly.

"Hello mother," Loki spoke softly as he turned to look at the Allmother and smiled kindly, "have I made you proud?"

"Please, don't make this worse..."

"Define 'worse'."

"Enough!" Odin spoke loud enough to make the sound echo throughout the vast room, "I shall speak to the prisoner alone,"

With that you escort the Queen out of the throne room and away from both prying eyes and ears. It was only until then that she spoke freely with you, "Do you believe the Allfather will spare him?"

"I cannot say my Lady," you speak respectfully, "Loki has committed so many crimes and broken so many of the rules the Allfather had placed in order to ensure that peace is kept between worlds. If it is the King's rule that Loki will be set to die--"

"Is that what you believe __________?" she now turned to look at you, sadness had filled her eyes.

With a soft sigh you shake your head, "If it is to be the King's choice, I doubt that he would sentence his own son to death. Otherwise he would have allowed Loki to perish all those years ago when he was a babe."

Frigga smiles and places her hand on your shoulder, "Well said," the Queen turns on her heel once more and you follow her stride, "I have yet another task for you to fulfill,"

An ominous dread began to spread over your chest while the Queen began to tell you in full detail of this new task she had just for you.

~*~

It was true that the King had spared Loki's life but the Allfather had sentenced his youngest son to a lifetime of imprisonment. He was to be hidden and forgotten behind locked doors and down in the darkness. Your feet quickly carried you toward the dungeon ward while the various guards who stood by watched you carefully; you chose to ignore their stares.

Coming by the first cell on your left on the ground floor is where you find Loki, who was reclining on a lounge seat with a book in one hand while his other hand was balled into a fist, his cheek resting upon it.

"Of all those that I have offended, I never thought you would be the first one to come visit me."

“This is not a visit, I had to see for myself with my own eyes that the King had spared you,” you partially lied, you were not there for that.

"As you can see I am now well contained," he spoke, his eyes still on the pages of his book, "why are you here? Do you feel sorry for me?"

“No, I will not feel sorry for you for being in here. In fact I am glad of it. It is where you deserve to be for everything that you’ve done and everything that you could do.”

“You wouldn’t be talking to me like this had it not been for this gilded cage of mine,”

You couldn’t help it but you laughed, you genuinely and openly laughed at him, “Loki I am not afraid of you whether you look at me with those sea colored eyes or through blood red ones,” you see a small jolt on the muscles of his cheek when you subtly mention his Jotunn heritage, “because I know how you are.”

“Think you have me all figured out then?” he sneered, you could tell he was trying to ignore you by the manner of how he held his book then turns the pages, not even he could read that quickly.

“You have changed me, I wasn’t always like this,” you admit as you stare at his enchanting face, his eyes then raise to meet your (e/c) ones; eyes which now reminded you of colored glass, “you are toxic, you are poison, you are disgusting and manipulative,” it had hurt you to say such things to him, but how can you deny your anger toward someone you love? Toward the man you would always love. Things were never easy between the two of you anyway. 

“If you find me to be so appalling, then why are you still here?” he snapped and closed his book with a loud slam!

“Because I’ve come to look into the eyes of the monster that destroyed my life.” You hissed and watched as Loki rose up from his place and changed into his Jotunn form expecting you to cringe with fear.

“IS THIS THE MONSTER YOU SEEK?!” he bellowed and glared at you with unfamiliar red eyes, you hate to admit it but even in his true form, Loki was still just as enchanting as if he were looking at you with his ocean eyes.

“Tch,” you snorted and smile sardonically, “those crimson eyes do not belong to the monster I am familiar with. The monster I know has eyes the same color as the unrepentant sea.”

"Why are you really here?" he continued to glare while he changed back.

You transport yourself into his cell and turned both of your hands palm side up. A tray with food materializes from your now upturned hands and you presented it to him, "Your mother asked me to bring this to you."

He looks at the tray then back up at you, “Must you do everything my mother asks of you?”

“If it is her will, then yes I am honor bound to do so.” You place the tray over the small writing desk in his cell, “Eat before your food gets cold, I shall return later for the filthy dishes.”

“So in the end you eventually became someone’s Wet Nurse after all.” You felt your stomach drop to the floor at his words and you turn to glare at him.

“I hate this just as much as you do. Believe me when I say that my desire for your demise is greater than anything I’ve ever felt towards another living being. There is nothing that you can say or nothing that you can do to make up for the treason you’ve shown me and my family. I promise you that the debt that you owe me will not be forgotten.” You meant every word that falls from your lips and Loki knew that for he continued to stare as though he couldn’t believe that the things you just said came from your own mouth.

Transporting yourself out of his cell you turn without giving him a second look and while walking briskly away your heart further hammered from your encounter.

~*~

"You're distracted my Lady," Fandral spoke not in his usual cocky manner but with that of friendly concern, "are you well?"

It had been several weeks later since your return to Asgard and you were now on the sparring grounds with Fandral who was your partner at the moment.

"Aye," you say while you rolled your neck and shoulders, you feel your joints pop from the movement while you practice a swing with your long sword before facing the blond man anew, "again."

"If you so wish it my Lady," there was that arrogant Swordsmith again and you charge for him, your thoughts wandered again to that of Loki when Fandral knocks your sword so easily out of your hand and pointed the end of his close to your nose, "Admit it, you are distracted." he pulled back then retrieves your weapon for you, he handed it back by the hilt.

"I will admit I do have a weight on my mind," you sigh, the two of you head inside for a refreshment of cool water and sit at a table.

"Tell me?" Fandral had been kind to you these last couple of years almost to the point that there had been moments where you could share secrets with him and he with you.

"It's about Loki," you say and immediately you saw the reaction on the blond man's face, "what?"

"Don't tell me that you're still soft hearted over the trickster..."

You feel your face heat up automatically; you had to admit that these last few weeks of bringing Loki his meals had indeed put things into perspective. Although he still acted proud and remorseless for the horrors he had committed in the recent years, you still couldn't help but hoped that, in time, he would be his old self again. That his hungry ambition to be King was just a phase he would eventually grow out of.

"Well I--" 

"__________, no..."

"I can't help it!" you argued while trying to get him to understand, "Queen Frigga asked me to do this for her because she trusts me, you haven't seen him, he's gotten quite docile now that he's grounded."

"You know," Fandral started while reaching for your hand to take it into his, "there are other options."

"What are you getting at?"

"There are other men," he teases and brings your hand up to his lips to place gentle kisses on your knuckles.

You make a sound of disgust and pulled your hand away from him, "Fandral you must be joking if you think I will give you so much as a side ways glance,"

"You've done so in the past," he smiled charmingly while taking in both your expression and reaction.

You felt your cheeks heat at that, it was true that once you as well had found the blond Swordsmith attractive and upon occasion he had caught you staring at him, it was not the same thing as to what he was implying, "That isn't the same thing," you huff then get up from the table, "and I don't have time for this, I've got to head for the kitchen." you say dismissively and you begin to make your way toward the kitchens to prepare Loki his meal tray.

Fandral waited until you were almost out of the door way when he called your name, "__________," this caused you to stop, "you know where to find me if you change your mind,"

"Don't hold your breath, Swordsmith." you sneer and proudly made your way out of the room.

~*~

"Do you ever regret sharing your magic with him?" 

It was later that same day, evening had befallen the kingdom and you heard the familiar tenor of Thor's voice the moment you've returned to the Queen's chambers to give her your report on Loki. You couldn't help but overhear the conversation between mother and son.

"No, you and your father cast large shadows, I had hoped that by sharing my gifts with Loki that he could find some sun for himself."

Thor chuckled and continued, "I admire your optimism, your com--" as he slightly turned he had noticed your presence behind them and greeted you with a quiet smile. The Queen as well turned with an expectant smile on her face. It seemed as though she had wanted you to hear their conversation, you said nothing on the subject.

"Welcome home Prince Thor," you greeted him politely, "I'm glad to see you've returned safely," you now look to your Queen and bow, "my Lady,"

"You've delivered the tray to Loki?"

"Of course my Queen, I never leave a task nor a request unfinished."

You see from the corner of your eye the manner of how Thor looked to his mother, "And you have food catered to him as well?"

"Ask the guards once more, I was never there," Frigga countered then smiles at the two of you.

"My Lady Queen is there anything else that you wish of me?"

"No my dear, now that my eldest son is home at last, I will rest much easily tonight. You may go, I shall see you tomorrow."

"As you wish my Queen," you say with a smile and a bow and just as you were about to go did you hear Thor call your name.

"Lady __________? Wait," you feel his hand around your arm.

"Yes Prince Thor?" you asked as you turned and looked up at him with concern.

"Might you accompany me to dinner tonight?"

How could you deny that invitation? With a much easier smile you nod and slightly bow your head to him, "Of course my friend, I would be delighted!"

~*~

"...cracking under the strain I threw the beast off! But six more beat me to the ground, crushing my blade as if it was paper." You were all sitting around a vast wooden table enjoying a warm dinner, fine ale and one of Volstagg's many adventurous stories; his stories were so famous in fact a group of curious children decided to join in to listen, "Oh! Come here, you're missing the best part!" once he settled a young girl onto his knee, he furrowed his eyebrows with confusion, "...where was I?"

"You were surrounded," said Thor who sat to your left.

"Tackled by eight," you added while you raised your tankard of ale to your lips and winked at Thor knowingly; he smiled then turned to watch Volstagg continue his story.

"Oh yes! Eight of the most vile criminals the Nine Realms have ever produced. To our left, savage beasts with fangs like knives! To our right, soldiers of fortune, their blades dripping with blood. And who was there to face the horde but Fandral the Dashing..."

"I was!" shouted Fandral who raised his pint with his free hand, the other was occupied by holding close one of his usual girls.

"Hogun the Grim and Volstagg the..."

"Voluminous?" suggested the other of Fandral's lady companions.

"Fat?" Fandral suggested himself.

"Full bodied?" you added with a smirk.

Laughter surrounded the table at the suggestions until finally the large ginger man answered, "Invincible!"

"Ahhh..." you say and you take another sip of your ale.

"I don't mind telling you, I feared for Thor's life."

"Why was he ill?"

More laughter ensued.

"But with steely courage, intrepid spirit and an axe, victory was ours!"

The room cheered while Volstagg took a long drink from his tankard.

"Truly a tale for the ages." Thor smiled and raised his pint.

"Indeed," you agree while raising your glass as well, "it keeps changing more and more each time I hear it," the second part you say quietly for Thor to hear, his smile you noticed became much more at ease and less forced.

Good, that was at least a start. 

"No doubt he'll be telling it that long as well," Fandral added while about to take a sip from his own pint.

"Another!" Volstagg called just as he smashed his tankard to the floor as did the many around your table who cheered in unison. 

You didn't care much for it, it only added more work to the serving women to clean up after and you suddenly thought of your mother. Perhaps tomorrow after your rounds with the Queen you would take time to stop by the kitchen and have a meal with her properly.

"A penny for your thoughts, my friend?" Thor asks as you turned to look at him, you smile and shake your head.

"I was just thinking of my mother," you admitted while looking down into your pint, "I haven't spent much time with her as of late, I was also thinking of sitting down to have a meal with her like I used to. I long for the warmth and scent of her kitchen."

The Prince smiled fondly at your words and you feel his hand on your shoulder, "I am sure your mother would be most pleased to see you. How's your father?"

"He's well, simply taking it one day at a time," you smile as your thoughts now drifted to your father, "He's one to also tell extravagant stories as well, my favorite is about how he and my brother took on the bilgesnipe beast,"

"Oh? How does it go?"

You had opened your mouth to tell the elaborate tale you had heard so many times as a child when the image of Viggo's face entered your mind you stop and instead finished off the ale in your cup.

"I could never tell it properly, I never get the details right anyway," you chuckled and wave at one of the servant girls for a bowl of spiced soup before readdressing Thor again, "though if you were to join me and my parents one time I'm sure my father would favor you with the tale." you smiled at him to conceal your sudden nostalgic mood.

"Yes I suppose he would, eh pardon me my friend I shall see you tomorrow?" Thor gets up while leaving his empty tankard behind.

"Of course, until tomorrow." you echo until your attention was now caught by the warm spicy smell of the soup placed in front of you. Minutes passed and already you were on your second bowl when you feel a shifting weight on the bench next to you.

"How do you do it?" you hear Sif's soft urgent voice on your right side; oh no...

"How do I do what?" you asked casually and take another sip of soup.

"You know what."

"With Thor?" you lick your lips and shrug nonchalantly, "That's easy we're friends, it's not that big of a deal." you then take some bread from the center of the table and dip it into the hearty red broth. Mmm...

"Well what do you talk about?"

Here we go... she was trying so desperately to win both his attentions and affections but how could she? What with that mortal as well as other important things to occupy Thor's mind? Perhaps it would be best to be direct with her, woman to woman.

You swallow the bit of food in your mouth before addressing her again, "Sif, he has a lot on his mind I can tell. The last thing he needs is someone easily throwing themselves at him."

"You speak as though you know what he needs," Seriously? Why was she acting like a jealous girlfriend.

"Well, why do you think he asked me to escort him to dinner and not you?" you snip back at her while turning your body to face her from where you sat.

You see the manner of how her eyes widened and her cheeks were now a blotchy pink of embarrassment though you continued speaking, "Look Sif, unless by some miracle Thor happens to forget about the mortal he fell deeply in love with, I suggest not waiting for him."

"You dare lecture me?" you could hear the outrage in her voice, "You know very well what one sided affection feels like! Perhaps you should heed your own advice in terms of waiting for things to change."

"If you are referring to Loki, then allow me to explain something. The difference between the relationship that I had with him versus the relationship that you have with Thor, is that in my case Loki reciprocated my affections. You keep pressuring Thor the way you are now and he will never look your way."

"So what do you suggest?"

"Live your life Sif, even if Thor can only play the part as your friend and fellow warrior on the battle field ." now that the desire to finish your meal left a sudden bitter taste in your mouth you get up and you had decided to retire for the rest of the evening.

"So you mean to say that even if you have obtained the one you love into your life, it wouldn't give you some sort of satisfaction or happiness?"

You meet Sif's steady gaze as the words flowed out of your mouth without a second thought or hesitation, "I don't need a man to make me happy, I make my own happiness. Goodnight Sif."

~*~

"So this is the famous Jane Foster?" you asked with a smile and a small bow, "What a pleasure,"

The following day was when things had started to go into motion, what with Thor making a quick travel to Midgard and bringing back the one mortal that would change everything.

"Jane this is Lady __________, she is my mother's personal guard and one of my oldest and dearest friends,"

"Prince Thor you flatter me," you snort and playfully punch his arm, "you've also forgotten to mention how I managed to whip you for years before you've acquired Mjolnir."

"Aye tis true!" he chuckled and ruffled your hair affectionately; you laughed.

"You guys seem so comfortable with each other," you hear the young mortal say a bit sadly, "I'm actually kinda jealous."

"Fret not Lady Jane," you say trying your best to assure her, "I am not the one that holds a torch for Prince Thor,"

Jane slightly cocks her head at your words while little did you know, Thor was staring hard at you, "Oh?"

"Indeed! Her name is Lady S--mmrrph!" your reply was cut short when Thor clapped a hand around your mouth.

"Do pardon us Jane, mother, but Lady __________, and I have a few things that we must discuss," he said with a growl as you could see his anger flare in those usually cool blue eyes of his; you began to dread the worst especially while he dragged you off to share those "few things".

Wiggling out of his grasp you glared at him, "What was that for?!"

"How dare you say such lies to Jane?"

"Lies? Forgive me if I'm wrong my Prince but isn't it quite obvious that Sif harbors romantic interests in you?"

Thor didn't say anything; ah, so he did know... you continued, "Perhaps it would be in everyone's best interests that you let the woman down easy and to avoid stringing her along so much."

"And what of you and Fandral?"

"What do you mean?"

"Is it not prudent to follow your own advice?" Where have you heard that before?

"My Prince," you give him an incredulous look, "I can assure you that there is nothing between the Swordsmith and I. And even if there was something it would be absolutely one sided."

"Then why does it upset you?"

"What makes you think I am upset?"

"You have this odd look on your face and simply because I know you too well." he gives you a knowing little smile.

"You think you have me all figured out?" you suddenly think of Loki who some time ago spoke those exact same words to you. Blushing slightly you straightened yourself and give him a pointed look, "Besides, you are being far too cheeky, m'lord,"

"Now you are being cruel..."

Thor hated when you called him "m'lord" he had mentioned long ago that by the manner of how you always addressed him as such, it had always sounded forced and slightly condescending. 

"If we've quite finished then perhaps we should return to your mother and Lady Jane?"

"Aye, it would be most wise..." he agreed and followed you back to the two women who waited for you.

Time passes until you could hear a dull explosion from far away; suddenly flashbacks from three years ago began to flood your memory and you felt your stomach drop to the ground.

"The Prisons..." Queen Frigga spoke just as the four of you saw the rising white cloud eminating from the prison ward. 

"Loki!"

"Go, we will look after her,"

You see the expression on Jane's face as she watched Thor fly off with Mjolnir in hand, "Amazing isn't he?" you whispered close to the young woman who turned to stare at you with wide eyes and flushed cheeks; she was adorable, it made you grin. 

The three of you walked quickly into the large golden palace until you all met with Odin who was leading a squadron of guards whilst giving them orders.

"Odin!"

"Frigga!" he greeted her then looks to you then finally at Jane, "It's a skirmish, you have nothing to fear."

"You've never been a very good liar," Frigga smiled knowingly when the Allfather looks to you again.

"Take and secure the Queen and the girl to the Queen's chambers, I will come for them when it's safe."

"Understood my Lord," you answer with your fist over shoulder.

"Take care," Frigga places her hand lovingly upon her husband's shoulder.

"Despite all I have survived, my Queen still worries over me." he replied while caressing her cheek fondly before departing her side.

You smiled at their exchange, "It's only because I worry over you that you have survived," your smile breaks out into a full grin as you begin to escort the two women toward the Queen's chambers as Odin had suspected you to do, but you knew better the moment the three of you turned a corner.

While taking a long sword from behind one of the passing guards, the Queen began to whisper to both you and Lady Jane, "Listen to me now, I need you to do everything I ask, no questions,"

"Always my Lady," you say obediently with small nod of your head.

"Yes, ma'am," echoed Jane between the two of you.

“__________, you will take Jane to my chambers and guard her there, she will be safe with you.”

“Yes my Queen but what of you?” Despite her request at "no questions" you always questioned her and she knew that.

“I will be alright and keep the enemy at bay.”

“Are you certain that is wise my Queen? I can easily have Lady Jane secured and come back for—“

“No __________, that will not be necessary,” she interrupts you as well as dismisses you, you still didn’t feel right about leaving her alone and unguarded.

With a silent bow you quickly escort Lady Jane to the Queen’s chambers where you made sure the room was secured before turning to the mortal, “Lady Jane I will ask you to stay here until I return with Queen Frigga,”

“But isn’t that going against what she asked you to do?”

You glance over at her and smile kindly, “I love the Queen as dearly as I love my own mother, wouldn’t you do the same in order to ensure that she survives?”

Jane sat quietly in her chair and nods just as you were about to leave when Jane stops you again, “But how are you going to make sure she doesn’t see you?”

You smile and raise a finger to your lips just as you disappear; making yourself invisible you then hurry swiftly out of the room while locking the door behind you. Your feet quickly carry you to the main room where you had left the Queen; she had just gotten herself captured by the two creatures: the Dark Elf and his beastly horned minion.

"WITCH!" the Dark Elf growled and slowly walked toward her, "Where is the Aether?"

"I'll never tell you," she spoke defiantly and you suddenly developed a new admiration for your Queen.

"I believe you."

Just before the horned beast plunges his sword into the Queen did you rematerialize out of thin air from behind the beast, grab him by the horns and snap his neck. You watched as his arms go limp at his sides; dropping both the sword and the Queen to the floor, his knees buckled and he topples over onto his side dead. Your eyes then look up at the menacing dark elf who stares at you stoically as a slow and smug smile lifts your lips until the Dark Elf says something which causes the beast to rise to his feet once more.

Shit.

Taking the small dagger you carry on the side of your hip you hold it up defensively while with one hand you reach behind you to draw your sword and held it up while shielding your Queen from the dangers of the beast now approaching you.

The beast itself stares at you with demonic blue eyes until it draws back its large clawed hand to swipe at you but you hold your ground upon impact, bracing your feet and holding up both your sword and dagger against the heavy appendage.

Your arms begin to shake at the stoutness pressing its weight down upon you, until the beast growls and knocked both your sword and dagger out of your trembling hands. You gasp and try to reach for your weapons when the beast grabs you by the neck and lifts you up. You were choking and gagging and you could feel the clawed hand he had on you starting to burn at your skin like fire.

Right before you met with oblivion did you feel your sword back in your hand and you plunge the sharp bottom half of the hilt into the beast's right eye as hard as you could hoping to get him right before he killed you; the beast releases a pained howl and dropped you.

Coughing you get up once more until you hear a roar like shout followed by a bolt of lightning shooting over and strikes at the dark elf against his face. Thor came charging in along with Odin as the King rushes over to his Queen and the Prince runs after the Dark Elf who had been pushed back at the impact of the lightening and was bracing himself against the balcony.

The beast then forgets about you and heads for his master whom he grabbed and lifted as they both plunge over the edge of the stone balcony, you then watched as both figures fly away on their large ominous looking ship. Thor even went as far as throwing Mjolnir at them to try and knock them off their flying device but they had then vanished.

“Frigga, are you alright?” Odin asks while helping his wife to her feet, Frigga seemed winded though she was alright.

Thor turned to you, graciousness and admiration now shinned in his blue eyes, “Lady __________, I thank you for saving my mother’s life. Had you not been here she could have—“

You shake your head and grab at his shoulder, you then offer him a smile, “Best not think of unpleasant circumstances my Prince,” your voice rasped, your eyes widened at the sound you produced and you grabbed at your throat where you felt the burnt bits of skin and you stared up at him with alarm, “does it look bad?” you rasped once more then uncovered your hand from your neck.

You see Thor’s eyes scan at your skin then looked back up into your eyes and then offered you a smile, “Nothing that the Healers can’t easily mend, allow me to escort you to them, for it is the very least I can do.”

“__________?” Queen Frigga calls to you, “Where is Jane?”

“Lady Jane is safely secured in your chambers just as you requested my Queen.” You then turn to Thor and nod at him, “You should go to her my Prince, I will be alright I know where the Healing rooms are,” you turn and walk toward your King and Queen, bow to them properly and excuse yourself while heading to the Medical Wing. 

~*~

"A word with Lady __________ if I may?" it had been some time later, after you had left Queen Frigga with King Odin when Thor comes to find you again.

"Yes of course Prince Thor," spoke the young Healing maiden who tended to you and leaves the two of you alone.

"How are you feeling?"

"It could have been a lot worst," you say, your throat sounded a lot worst than it felt yet the healing process was already starting especially with the tea that you were given to soothe your throat.

"Do your wounds still ache?"

"I will be alright, nothing a few days of this salve and some rest wouldn't do," you smiled at him to show that you were alright, however his eyes continued to linger at your throat, "What's the matter?"

"I know I would be asking you too much at this time my friend, but I am in need of your assistance and I know that you can be trusted,"

"Of course Thor, what is it that you need?" you rasp softly, your voice still under the healing affects.

As he began to fill you in on the details of his plan you suddenly wished that you had not say that you were feeling quickly on the mend. Oh no, of all the insane schemes that Thor had thought of in the past, this one took the whole cake.

You now had a lot of work to do and most of it was to make sure everything fell into place starting with the man you assisted in sending to prison; Loki.

It was shortly after this encounter that a ceremony to remember the dead that had fallen that very day commenced. Soldiers, prisoners and the like were given a proper farewell to the heavens, it was just as painfully beautiful as the one that was held for your brother and the soldiers that fell almost three years ago.

A little after the ceremony you were given the task to escort the Queen as well as Lady Jane to the Queen's chambers to watch other them dutifully, you knew that with this threat of not only the Aether falling into the wrong hands but that the Dark Elves threatened the life of the Queen of Asgard; the Allfather was furious.

Speaking of the King, he at the moment was in the throne room gathering intel with his most trusted discussing about the damage of the shields which had once surrounded the palace when needed be.

"We are still unable to restore the palace shields, our artillery cannot detect them. Even Heimdall cannot see them," Fandral spoke, explaining the excessive damage the enemy had brought upon the world eternal, "My King," the swordsmith nervously licked his lips, "We are but defenseless." 

Heavy footfalls could be heard as Thor stood at the bottom step before the remains of where the once large golden throne resided, Odin looked upon his son, "So she is your prisoner now?"

"Leave us," the Allfather spoke while the warriors bowed before departing leaving both father and son alone.

"I do not wish to fight with you,"

"Nor I with you but I intend to pursue Malekith."

Odin slowly shook his head and began to walk the long way toward the doors of the throneroom, "We possess the Aether, Malekith will come to us."

"Yes and he will destroy us," Thor insisted, his feet falling after those of his father.

"You overestimate these creatures powers."

"No," Thor argued, "I value our people's lives."

At that Odin stopped and Thor continued on, "I will take Jane to the Dark World and draw the enemy away from Asgard. When Malekith pulls the Aether away from Jane it will be exposed and vulnerable! Then I will destroy it and him."

"And if you fail," Odin turns toward his son, "you risk this weapon falling into the hands of our enemies. The risk is far greater than if we do nothing."

"But his ship could be over us right now and we would never even know it!"

"And if he comes his men will fall on 10,000 Asgardian blades."

"And how many of our men shall fall on theirs?!"

"AS MANY AS NEEDED!"

Thor stared at his father in disbelief while Odin sighs unable to bear the look his son was giving him, "We will fight!" the Allfather continued, "Till the last Asgardian breath, till the last drop of Asgardian blood."

"Then how are you different from Malekith?"

Odin chucked, "The difference my son, is that _I_ will win!" Thor watches his father depart while he now became more than determined to fall through with his own plan all he needed was to enlist a little more help.

~*~

The two of you headed quickly toward Loki's cell moments after the conversation between the six of you which had been also after Thor came to collect you to fill you in on what was needed to be done. Jane would be brought to you both later. Frigga, not having known of Odin's plans had been more than willingly helpful in distracting him for what Thor had in mind. 

You however, had that feeling somewhere deep inside your soul that something momentus was going to happen.

>>>

_"What I'm about to ask of you is treason of the highest order. Success will bring us exile and failure shall mean death. Malekith knew the Aether was here, he could sense its power. Is we do nothing he will come for it again but this time he will lay waste to Asgard. So we must move Jane off-world."_

_There were six of you in the room; Thor, Sif, Fandral, Volstagg, Heimdall and yourself; Thor had been explaining the earlier encounter with the King and what he had planned if and when Malekith would return for the Aether, "The Bifrost has been shut down and the Tesseract locked away in the vault," he continued cautiously while looking upon each of his most trusted allies, you knew what he was going to say, after all he had approached you first, "There are other paths off Asgard. Ways only known to a few. One Actually."_

_You saw the look in Volstagg's eyes as he realized to whom the Prince had been referring to, "No."_

_You shifted uncomfortably and let out a small sigh, you then felt four pairs of eyes on you, "You mean you knew?"_

_"It's only obvious to whom Thor is referring to," you rolled your eyes and crossed your arms over your chest._

_"You know he can't be trusted."_

_"Yes I know," Thor nodded solemnly, his hands folded over the table._

_"Which is why I will be going with him to collect Loki," you say to which you could see the manner of how Fandral looked at you._

_"He will betray you," the Swordsmith was ever so kind to point out._

_"He will try."_

_"Well what then? Your lovely mortal is being guarded by a legion of Einherjar who will see you coming from miles away."_

_"Actually," you interrupted, "she's not, it only appears that way."_

_"You don't mean--"_

_"I won't be the one who comes for her, she will be brought to me." Thor now turns to look at Sif who's eyes widened when silently given the task to collect Jane for him._

_"And what of the Allfather?" Heindal inquired, "It is my sworn duty to notify him of crimes against the throne."_

_"Then you will inform him of said crimes and stop him however you can."_

_"Assuming you can get Loki's help, and you can free this mortal what good will it do? We'll all be dead the minute we step one foot outside the palace."_

_"That my friend, is why we won't be leaving by foot."_

>>>

"Thor, after all this time and now you come to visit me, why?"

Both you and Thor said nothing, your eyes and the top half of your face were hidden under your hood, all you could see were Loki's legs and feet.

"Have you come to gloat?" the Trickster hissed, "To mock?"

"Loki enough," Thor spoke gently, you knew how hard this was going to be not only to convince Loki to help him but that this was the first time he had ever come to see him trapped behind four walls, "No more illusions."

Although you and Loki had been physically apart for so long since his return, you felt the gentle bristle of his magic while he dropped the illusion he had earlier projected. Looking up you see him as well as the mess that now cascaded all around his cell. Papers scattered, furniture overturned, some of the dinner you had delivered to him on your behalf was spilled all over the floor; he was like a subdued wild creature who had earlier thrashed about until he was satisfied with the distruction around him.

"Now you see me brother," his voice sounded so tired, your heart ached at the sound, "Is she alright?"

Thor looks over at you and you to he when he spoke, "She's mother, what would you expect from her? __________, guarded her very well," You smiled at his words then he continued, "I've come to offer the chance of a far richer sacrament,"

"...go on."

"I know you seek retaliation as much as I do, you help me escape Asgard and I will grant it to you. Vengeance and afterward this cell."

There was silence for a moment when you hear the small stifling arrogant little chuckle you once adored hearing, "You must truly be desperate to come to me for help. What makes you think you can trust me?"

"I don't but Mother does. Then again she isn't the only one." Your reaction was instant the moment you turn your attention to him and you saw the tiniest smirk on his lips, "But you should know that when we fought each other in the past, I did so with a glimmer of hope that my brother was still in there somewhere. That hope no longer exists to protect you. You betray be and I will kill you."

You now look to Loki who then shifted his attention toward you, "And you've been awfully quiet this whole time, haven't you anything to say on this?"

You shake your head silently before answering, "Your brother's wrong, I _don't_ trust you." you rasp, your voice still wasn't back to normal just yet, perhaps in a few more hours it would be. 

You could then see by Loki's reaction that he had noticed the change in your voice, he looks back to Thor again, "When do we start?"

The moment you and Thor break Loki out of his cell you kept to the back while Loki and Thor hurried down the hall in the front.

"This is so unlike you brother!" Loki spoke gleefully while keeping up with Thor's large steps, "So clandestine! Are you sure you wouldn't rather just punch your way out?"

"If you keep speaking I just might."

"Fine," Loki spoke while sounding civil, "as you wish, I'm not even here."

You see him transform into one of the royal guard and you couldn't help but roll your eyes at his showing off, "Is this better?" he asked Thor then looked over his shoulder at you when you turn your gaze away and looked behind you to make sure you weren't being followed. 

"It's better company at least," Thor replied, you smirked because that would be a very Thor-like answer to anything Loki antic related.

"Still, we could be less conspicuous..." the younger suggested as another flash of green light rebounded the hall and you look to see Lady Sif next to Loki, "Mmm, brother, you look ravishing."

There was no way that it was-- "It will hurt no less when I kill you in this form." Yep, that was Thor alright, oh dear...

"Very well," Loki continued to taunt him, "Perhaps you prefer one of your new companions, given you seem to like them so much."

Yet another flash of green light surrounded the two brothers and suddenly Steve Rogers, or at least a doppelgänger of him walked besides the blond Thunderer, "Oh this is much better!"

You couldn't help yourself as your eyes landed to the seat of those blue cladded trousers, though the real Steve Rogers' arse was much more fuller than the one currently walking away, "Ooh, the costume's a bit much," Good Lord, he even sounded like him, "it's so tight! But the confidence...I can feel a righteousness surging!"

Thor turns to look at you and as you both made eye contact, you fought to suppress a laugh, your face hot with embarrassment at getting caught looking at the other man and you shrug helplessly; Loki however continued talking, "Hey do you want to have a rousing discussion about truth?" you face palmed, "Honor? Patriotism? God bless Ameri--"

Thor could no longer hold back his irritation when he grabs Loki by the back of his neck and smothers his mouth with Thor's other palm then presses him against a pillar.

"What?"

"Shhh, shut your hole," you rasp at him again when you noticed that Loki was staring at your neck.

"What's that?"

"None of your concern," you insisted and watched with Thor as two sentry guards passed by together down the corridor, "but if you must know it's a small price to pay to be the Queen's personal guard." He said nothing until you felt a hand pull aside the bottom half of your hood to reveal your healing wounds. 

Loki gingerly touches at the puckered flesh under your hood, “The beast will pay for what he has done to you, I will make sure of that,” a part of you wanted so badly to believe him, then again he wasn’t considered the god of lies for nothing and after everything that has happened between the two of you in the more recent years how could you?

You snort and move away from his touch, “Don’t be stupid,” you retaliate and stand closer to Thor, “If anyone is going to slay the beast, it will be me.”

"Brother, you could at least furnish me with a weapon. My dagger, something." At least the idiot knew how to change the subject.

You roll your eyes as the two brothers look to each other when Thor retrieves something from on his person to give to Loki, "At last, a little common sense," the trickster smiled until you hear a small resounding click like a lock.

Looking at Loki anew, you couldn't help the slow grin that blossomed onto your face and especially when the brunet before you lifts his arms up just as the magical suppression cuffs lock into place once more.

"And I thought you liked tricks," Thor grinned and looked to you for approval which you did.

"You're terrible," you chuckled and looked up to meet with Loki's eyes, “Though personally, I rather like them,” you grin smugly then you walked to catch up with Thor who had already gone ahead. 

Once the three of you reached the meeting point where Sif and Jane would be waiting, you all had just arrived when both women in question came walking quickly. You noticed how Jane's attention quickly locked in on the tall brunet next to you.

"You're..." she said pointing at Loki and continued walking right up to him.

"I'm Loki, you may have heard of m--"

CRACK!

Jane punched him as hard as she could, "That was for New York!"

"Oh I like her..." Loki smiled sardonically at his brother.

You couldn't help yourself while you looked away to stop from laughing any further than the snort that passed through your nose, "Sorry I had to sneeze..." you lied.

"There they are, take them!" called the commanding officer of his troupe, "On my command!"

"I'll hold them off, take her," you watched as Sif and Thor exchanged quick farewells then turns to you all and takes Jane by the hand leading her off you soon follow behind them when you heard the sound of an unsheathed sword.

"Betray him and I'll kill you."

"It's good to see you too Sif."

Sif then withdraws her blade from over his throat allowing him to pass and walked quickly next to you until the four of you reached the second meeting point where Volstagg stood before the large Dark Elf plane.

"I will give you as much time as I can."

"Thank you my friend."

Jane gave the large ginger man a silent grateful nod, as did you along with a a gentle pat on his shoulder. As for Loki however, you could feel the power in that arm that stopped the Trickster from moving any further.

"If you even think about betraying him..." Volstagg started to threaten when Loki looks at him and says, "You'll kill me? Evidently, there will be a line." 

The four of you had just entered the ship when Loki turns to look at you again, "And how about you __________? Are you not going to inanely threaten me as well like the others?"

"Why should I?" you asked with a nonchalant shrug, "Everyone knows that I will be in front of the line." You heard the soft little scoff behind your back as Loki now turned his attention to Thor who ws at the moment, pressing every button on the ship. Perhaps the golden Prince had been hoping that one of those so called buttons would start the ship to life.

"I thought you said you knew how to fly this thing?"

"No... what I said was, 'How hard can it be?'"

Suddenly there were sounds of a battle coming from outside of the ship, "Thor, I don't mean to pressure you--" you say, your hand itching to get to your sword in the case Volstagg had fallen.

"Well whatever you're doing brother, I suggest you go faster."

"Shut up Loki." 

You heard the exasperated sigh coming from the Trickster while the small click clacks of Thor's frantick button pushing echoed in the small space of the ship.

"You must have missed something..." Loki murmurs sounding a little bored.

"No I didn't, I am pressing every button on this thing."

"No, no don't hit it, just press it gently."

"I AM pressing it gently and it's not working!" just as Thor finished touching every last button he could find, the ship went dark followed by the glowing blue lights that now begin to surround you.

You couldn't help but laugh at them. It had seemed as though they were truly brothers once again and that the three years between them had not happened at all, there was still hope yet and it warmed your heart gratefully.

At last Thor must have pressed every button just as he said for the ship began to rumble and start up sluggishly. It seemed however that Thor was having some difficulty pushing forward for you could feel the slight spinning from the ship as well as the turbulent impact of the tall pillars of the hall crumbling all around the outside.

"I think you missed a column." Loki commentated knowingly at his brother.

"Shut up!"

Thor had pressed another button which caused you to lose your balance and you surge forward, landing onto the floor with a surprised grunt, you then quickly get back up and held on tightly to a part of the plane.

"Look why don't you let me take over?"

"Is that right? Well out of the two of us which one can actually fly?"

"Well actually," you interjected while holding onto a jagged side of the plane, "there are three of us and I've flown as well. In fact I can grow my own wings to do it."

Just as you all clip another building with the plane did Jane collapse to the floor.

"Oh dear... is she dead?"

"Jane!"

"I'm fine..." Jane spoke weakly and waves a frail looking hand at them.

The plane then shakes violently while the lights blinked red signaling that you were not only being pursued but also being shot at.

"Now they're following us _and_ firing at us!"

"Yes thank you for the commentary Loki, it's not at all distracting!"

"Pity neither one of you can hit that button and make this ship disappear!" you shout over the noise while another spectacular sounding crash was made outside.

"Well done... you've just decapitated your grandfather." 

You all narrowly continue to escape when it was evident that the plane was no longer stable and that the sentries would not give up until the ship was obliterated. 

"Well this is wonderful, this is a tremendous idea. Let's steal the biggest, most obvious ship in the universe and escape in that! Flying around the city, smashing everything in sight so that everyone can see us! IT'S BRILLIANT THOR! IT'S TRULY BRILLIANT!" 

Just then Thor pushes Loki out the side of the now exposed exit. You could hear Loki's alarmed yell the moment he was shoved out of sight. 

"Oh... you said I could do it," you pout at Thor just before you dive out and land swiftly on the boat that Fandral was flying.

"Lady __________! How wonderful that you could join us. For a moment I thought there were angels falling from heaven!"

"You've stroked my ego far too much Swordsmith," you say while you stood up to make room for Jane and Thor who landed a short moment later.

"I'm guessing that's not all I can stroke of yours my Lady,"

You make a disgusted sound and as you turned to glare at him you see Loki glaring at Fandral as well, was he jealous? Oh this bodes well, "Don't act too familiar with me Fandral," you continued cheekily.

"What I mean to say is that I could stroke your hair, or your cheeks," those lustful blue eyes of his lowered down your body, "there are also your thighs or even those twin voluptuous ample bre--"

"Alright that's enough!" you felt your face burn with embarrassment and look away from the two men in the back of the boat. 

Thor gave you a knowing smile to which you retaliated with irritation in your voice, "Oh don't give me that look," you snap at him and look away still embarrassed; the Dark Elf ship flew over your heads as well as a few long boats firing at the ship as well. 

"You lied to me!" Loki stood to confront Thor, who turned to look at him the moment after he settled Jane on the longboat, "I'm rather impressed..."

"I'm glad you're pleased."

"Now as promised, take us to your secret pathway." 

Things were going well, until there was a long boat following and shooting at you.

"Fandral," Thor said as you turned to look at the other blond man who had already grabbed the fastened rope.

"For Asgard!" he called over the wind and just before he swung down he looks at you and gives you a wink; you roll your eyes, the showoff.

Fandral was able to subdue the ship following you all as you headed toward the large mountain peak, "Loki..." Thor called from over his shoulder to his brother who seemed far too happy for your liking.

"If it were easy, everyone would do it."

"Are you mad?!"

"Possibly!" 

"Hold onto something sturdy!" You shout while Jane was pressed to the floor, Thor was covering her and holding onto the sides of the boat while you held on near the top to where Loki had been steering.

The sides of the boat began to glow and you were shot through the portal with an impressive rainbow colored explosion. A heavy dusk surrounded your long boat as you all crashed through into the Dark world, "Ta-da!" You hear Loki's sardonic announcement signaling that you had all made it safe and in one peace. The only thing now was to wait for Malekith.

Loki continued steering slowly at the stern, with Thor settling Jane comfortably at the bow and you sat on the starboard side looking out upon the vast dimness of the world before you while it was Loki who broke the sudden silence.

"What I could do with the power that flows through those veins..."

"Oh, don't start that up again." You rolled your eyes and groaned.

"It would consume you." Replied Thor who sounded just as annoyed as you did.

"She's holding up alright." 

"For now, she's strong in ways you'd never even know."

"Then say good bye."

"Not this day."

"This day, the next, a hundred years; it's nothing. It's a heartbeat. You'll never be ready. The only woman who's heart you've prized will be snatched from you."

You listened to his words and they suddenly stroke a cord in you, yet you say nothing nor did you turn your attention toward him.

"And will that satisfy you?"

"Satisfaction is not in my nature."

"Surrender is not in mine."

"The son of Odin." 

"No, no just of Odin. You think you alone are loved by mother? You may have her tricks but I have her trust."

"Trust? Do you truly think so? Trust? When she was nearly killed?"

"What help were you in your cell?"

"Who put me there?!"

"You know damn well! YOU KNOW DAMN WELL WHO!" 

"Boys!" you say dangerously from your spot on the boat, "do _not_ make me get up and break you apart,"

"...she wouldn't want us to fight."

"Well she wouldn't exactly be shocked."

"I wish I could trust you."

"Trust my rage."

~*~

What felt like several hours you saw how Jane had stirred awake and rose to look up over the edge of the boat,

"Jane?" Thor inquired as he stood by in case she was in any immediate danger.

"...Malekith." Jane had whispered and stared straight ahead toward a large mountain where the Dark Elf must have been quickly approaching them.

Loki managed to land the boat as you all climbed out and headed toward the mountain top to find that indeed the small group of the creatures had been approaching and awaiting all of you.

"Are you alright?" Thor addressed you as well as Loki, Jane had been behind the three of you.

"I'm ready," replied Loki with a small nod.

"As am I." You say, your voice finally returning to normal.

"You know this plan of yours is going to get us killed."

"Yes, possibly..."

Loki now turns to Thor and held up his wrists so that Thor could remove the cuffs, Thor however looked at the cuffs cautiously.

"...you _still_ don't trust me brother?" Loki smiled arrogantly and raised an eyebrow.

"Would you?" Thor asked and finally released Loki from his magically suppressed cuffs, Loki rubbed his wrists one right after the other.

"No, I wouldn't." He spoke and seemed to inflict some sort of damage into Thor's side which caused the taller Prince to stagger over and then Loki pushed him down so that Thor rolled down that steep dusty hill.

"Loki no!" you shouted and you slide down after them.

"Thor!"

"You really think I care for Frigga? About any of you?" Loki sneered while continuing to kick Thor who rolled and curled onto his side, "All I ever wanted was for you and Odin dead at my feet."

Following after the pair, you rose to your feet and ran toward them, "What are you doing?! Stop!"

"Know your place woman!" Loki sneered and grabs at your neck then lifts you high off the ground, you then grabbed at his wrist which you began to beat at for him to release you.

 __you hear his voice in your head and although he glares at you fiercely, the voice you heard was that of the warmth and kindness you knew from years ago.

Relaxing your body against his hold you say in your best monotone voice, "Yes... my Lord..." 

As much as you wanted to assist Thor to his feet you stood by while he extended his hand to call out Mjolnir. Just as the hammer's hilt was inches away from his grasp did Loki sever that hand with a swift flick of his wrist.

Thor releases a howl of pain then curls onto his side while cradling the bleeding stump. Just then Loki grabs Jane up by the arm and holds her tightly, "Malekith! I am Loki of Jotunheim and I bring you a gift!" he then throws Jane down at his feet, "I ask only one thing in return, a good seat from which to watch Asgard burn." you stood by just as the Horned Beast looks at Loki before saying something to the Dark Elf, to which Malekith turns his full attention down at Thor. He walks over to the fallen Prince menacingly, "Look at me."

Just as Thor refuses, Malekith raises his hand over to Jane who rose in midair, the crimson powder of the Aether began to filter itself from her body until it was at last eradicated from her.

"LOKI, __________ NOW!"

Jumping into action you raised your hands over both Jane and Loki in order to create a magical barrier almost like the one that surrounded Loki's cell. It wasn't as powerful as the golden one but it was still strong enough to protect you three from the debris.

Though it had seemed that even the power of Mjolnir could not destroy a weapon as powerful as the Aether. The small red crystal like shards rose from the ground and traveled into it's sinister Master. A new glow shone in Malekith's eyes while the dark elves began to retreat for their ship, the horned beast from earlier gripped a stone like object and tossed it into your direction when Loki pushes Jane toward you as a dark hole appeared from where the stone had been tossed.

"LOKI!" You screamed and you reached one of your hands up toward his, Jane was safely tucked under your arm.

Thor seemed to have flown from out of nowhere when he rescued Loki from being sucked in. A wave of relief washed over you and you take Jane somewhere safe for the time being. A moment later Loki had been surrounded by more of those masked elves while Thor was currently battling with the horned beast. Seeing as how Loki had begun to disband the troupe around him easily with his daggers and magic, you decided to help Thor in bringing down the beast. You had arrived while the beast had raised a large boulder over his head, preparing to toss it at Thor who had been currently knocked onto the side of a mountain.

Using your magic, you were able to slow the beast down but you were finding it difficult in doing so, for your own magic wasn't as strong as you would have liked it to have been. The pressure was beginning to take a toll on your body as you continued to will the boulder to fall down on top of the beast as to crush him.

"Come on..." You strained, "COME ON!" The rock crumbled and fell to bits all around him, his attention now focused on you while you panted and reach one hand behind you to grab the hilt of your sword, your other hand reached for your dagger which rested near your hip.

Between both you and Thor the two of you were a match for the best until he hits you across the face with one punch which sends you flying and you crash near a pile of large dark rock.

"Are you alright? Can you stand?" Loki was there to help you up when you get up on your own.

"I'm fine go help Thor!"

Now that there were three of you fighting with the beast, Loki had caught him by surprise and stabs him with a spear; the sharp jagged point protruded from the center of the beast's chest when he stared at Loki stoically before he grabbed him and crushed him against his chest. The pointed end of the spear had also stabbed Loki in the process.

"NO!" Both you and Thor cry as you watched Loki crumble to the ground, a look of proud defiance still on his pained face.

"See you in hell monster."

You couldn't hear the sickening crack and crunching of the monster caving in on himself, all you felt was your stomach hitting the ground the moment Loki touched at his midsection and the dark blood stained his hand. The image of the monster plunging the blade into Loki kept replaying over and over into your head until you found yourself kneeling at his side; you were almost too afraid to touch or move him.

"You fool you didn't listen!" Thor chastised him gently.

"I'm a fool, I'm a fool." Loki agreed with a frantic nod.

“Loki, you can’t keep doing this to me! I won't let you, I will not lose you again!” you sob, the tears roll freely down your cheeks as he turned to look at you.

Placing one of your hands on his cheek the other you smooth at his hair starting from his temple he only manages a tiny smile, “We were supposed to be—I have so many—“ you couldn’t even think until you hear him say the words to you as well.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry __________, for everything.”

“Shhh, stop talking. I’m going to get you back home, you’ll be alright, I promise.” You smile encouragingly at him and lower your face towards his, your foreheads press together.

“It wasn’t,” you feel him shiver and you open your eyes to look into his own glass looking ones which were staring into your own, “it wasn’t worth losing you. None of it.”

You chuckle sob and gently rub your thumbs over his cheek bones, “Why are you starting to make sense now?” you ask rhetorically, “Idiot.”

You feel him shiver against you and you shush him quietly while whispering more words of encouragement. Yet there was something in your heart that dreaded that he wouldn't make it and it forced you to tell him exactly how you felt; that even though you were still angry with him, he would always have a place in your heart.

“I forgive you,” you sniffle and bite at your lips, “I forgive you because I love you, I will always love you, Loki.”

"I'll also tell father what you did."

"I didn't do it for him." You see tears in his eyes as he gave you both one last shaken smile before he closed his eyes and finally lets go.

"No!" Thor shouts on Loki's other side while you held his now lifeless body tightly, your tears wouldn't stop until you finally look up at Thor.

“Go on Thor, I will take his body back to your Mother and Father.”

"Lady __________, are you certain you can do that?"

"Of course I am!" you nod while you continued holding Loki's still body, "Prince Thor, do not let his sacrifice go in vain, stop Malekith and restore peace throughout the realms."

"I apologize for this burden that has befallen you __________..."

"It is not a burden my Prince, we all have our place and our duties, this one just so happens to be mine..." you find yourself saying and you look down at Loki's body who's skin had turned a grayish blue tint, your hand reaches up to run your fingers through his still soft hair.

Without another word Thor takes Jane back to the cave and out of the now swelling sand storm. The moment you stand you outstretched your hands over the body to conjure up a stretcher when you hear a voice from behind you.

“Did you mean what you said?”

Your eyes widen and you turn slightly to see Loki standing there alive and well, not a scratch on him. You turn to look at the dead Loki lying on the ground to see that he disappeared with a lingering powdered green and golden residue. Turning back to face him, you then walk over to him slowly.

“Why did you--?”

“Fake my death?” he smirks and shrugs his shoulders, “I find that my brother fights at his best when properly motivated. By the way, lovely words of encouragement my dear, 'Do not let his sacrifice go in vain, stop Malekith and restore peace throughout the realms.'" he spoke in your voice while grinning, "brava!” he then spoke in his own voice again.

“But he thinks you’re dead! What do you think he’s going to do when he finds that you are not?”

“I’ll tell him that you saved my life; that I wasn’t actually dead, simply unconscious and that when you took me to the Healing Ward they found that I was still alive and they managed to revive me. Simple.”

You only stared at him, to which Loki raises his hands and says, “Ta-da!”

The moment he said that you aimed a punch directly for his face, “Idiot! Charlatan! Faker! Phony! Arrogant cheeseprick arsehat!” with each insult you gave him you continued to hit and punch at every part of his body above the belt.

He laughs at your insults and finally holds your hands away from hitting him further, “This feels just like the old days when you loved me.”

You stop and stared hard at him, “Come on you fool let’s go home and clean up this Dark Elf mess.” Pulling away from him you began to walk toward the spot you were you had all appeared while on the long boat.

“You never answered my question, did you mean what you said?”

“I meant it only because I thought you were dying but now since that is no longer the case I take it back. You’re still on punishment, I’m still angry and I still loathe you.”

“Where are you going?” he calls from behind you as you trudge through the sudden dark sand storm toward the flying boat.

“I’m trying to find a way out of here! Now that you’ve finished playing dead perhaps you can make yourself useful and help me figure out a way home!” you shout until you stop and turned to glare at him, "I can't believe you got me again!"

"What do you mean?" he asked innocently... innocent my ass.

"I was practically preparing a speech for your parents the moment I would arrive back with your body. It's not as if I could look at them in the eyes and say, 'Thor was wrong, the Dark Elves have the Aether and by the way Loki is dead, that's his body on the stretcher!'"

"I'm sure with your eloquence for words you would have thought of something, since it is quite obvious that you now hold my mother's ear so tentatively."

"And just what do you mean by that?"

"Ever since my so call demise from Asgard three years ago, you have become quite attached to the Allmother, do you deny it?"

"I do not deny that we have developed a bond over the last few years, I love her as if she were my own mother, just as you love her as if she were your very own."

Loki stared at you as though he was fighting with himself to believe you or not, "I suppose you do then again you've always been such a good girl always doing as you're told. Obeying every wish an command of the hypocritical aristocracy."

You rolled your eyes at his words, "I am fairly certain that if _you_ were King you would be expecting the same loyalty from not only myself but all of Asgard."

"At least I would have made a better ruler than someone who had kept a dirty secret within the walls of the palace for so long and is still keeping it though now said dirty secret is being hidden in the dungeons."

"Loki, I can not speak for the actions of the Allfather but simply speculate that perhaps he thought he was doing his best as a father, just as all fathers do when it comes to their children."

"He is not my fath--!"

"Perhaps not by blood but he sure as well kept you!" you stop and held your ground while staring up at those ocean colored eyes, "He wanted you when your own people abandoned you simply because you were too small and too weak in their eyes but perhaps Odin saw the potential that they could not. You truly are a powerful being Loki, the only one who never truly believed he was good enough was yourself."

"I am sure that if the Allfather had heard you now you would be expecting--"

You quickly turn to face him, "Never assume that you know me _now_ Loki. I meant what I said when I first visited you in your cell: knowing this version of you has changed me. I will not be fooled into your charming promises and clever schemes because they will only lead to misery and distruction."

"I'm most certain that you would not be speaking this way to me if I were King,"

"Loki, it was never your title or your status that I was after, all I ever wanted was you. This trickster persona of yours is only half of who you really are, in my mind you're still that young boy who scraped his knee and was too proud to cry even though he wanted to."

"If you expect me to be that same little boy then I'm afraid you're disillusioning yourself, darling. Know that I am what I am, not half or part, but whole. I would expect if you make a statement like that you would understand my displeasure with you painting me as but two sides of a coin. I'm complex, far more so than anyone, or you for that matter at this moment, might understand."

You snorted at his remark before you had the chance to stop yourself, "Complex?" you chuckled and shake your head, "There is nothing complex about you if you truly believe in what you just said in regards of your whole nature. With that in mind I am beginning to think that perhaps you are starting to believe in your own lies, which in my opinion, makes you a genuine fool."

"You are insulting me madam, don't you know who I am?"

"I have yet to decide between a complex liar and a genuine fool."

You feel him grabbing you by the arm and he turns you around so quickly that all you could see were a set of the most terrifyingly brilliant sea colored eyes, you gulp softly, "How did it all come down to this, you and me?"

"Now who is insulting who?" it had been ages since you were this close to him and you could feel the rapid beat of your heart and the heat rising to your cheeks; you pull yourself away from him and continued to walk, "If you can't figure it out on your own then there is no way I am going to tell you the answer!"

After several more rounds of bickering between the two of you, the both of you had arrived back to Asgard while everything was starting to fall into place. Upon the moment you walked into the throne room to give the King your report, you had seen the look of disappointment in both his eyes and that of the Allmother once you had finished speaking. It was obvious that there was the issue of treason in regards to the manner of how you all departed but you knew that you would be pardoned, after all you were not the only one who had to pay for the same crime.

Loki's body was taken to the Healing ward almost in a similar fashion as to how Viggo's was when you walked in demanding to see his remains, however one of the women exclaimed that she felt the soft pulse of life within the Prince's body and demanded to her other handmaidens to rush the young man into a warming room to revive him. When word had reached the Allmother she had quickly dashed toward the healing chambers to see that indeed her second son was still alive. Now that, that was taken care of the only thing you could do is to stand by while Thor and his mortal woman finished the task of ridding the universe of the Dark Elves.

You watched the skies while the different worlds bled together; it was both an amazing sight to behold yet also quite terrifying. Your anxiety in wanting to help spiked while the frustration you felt soon after only furthered your need to do something to occupy your time.

You had not wanted to see Loki in the healing ward, knowing that he was alright it was simply a ruse to make the people as well as the King and Queen believe that he had fallen on the battlefield. 

Then it was finally over, the realms were safe once again and you felt as though a heavy burden was lifted from over your shoulders. You had then decided to retreat to your room and enjoy a long hot soak when you turned a corner to find the Warriors Three along with Lady Sif who all seemed to be in light but jovial conversation; then something hits you the moment to see the smile on the SwordSmith's face.

"I don't care anymore," you find yourself saying while walking up to Fandral who turned to see you walking toward him and he smiles expectantly, "I don't." Reaching out to him once he was at arm's reach you pull him into you and you press your lips over his, your eyes shutting slowly while you begin to pour everything you felt in your heart into that kiss.

Fandral must have know something was going on for he didn't stop you nor did he response to your embrace until you pull back to look into his eyes, you were desperate for him to understand what it was you needed.

"Come on," he said and takes your hand in his then leads you away from the hallway where Volstagg catcalls at your retreating forms; yet you still didn't care.

The moment the two of you were alone did he pull you in to reciprocate your earlier embrace, you felt as though your breath were taken away until you pull away from him; his lips now lavishing your neck and pulse with attention, it sent shivers up your spine.

"I'm tired of waiting and I need your help to forget. Please Fandral, help me forget." you murmur huskily, your fingers grip at the back of his golden locks.

"...If that is what you want my Lady." he replied while removing your armor followed by his own.

"Yes, it is."  
…


End file.
